Adventures of an army nurse in two wars; ed. from the diary and correspondence of Mary Phinney, baroness von Olnhausen

ADVENTURES

NURSE

EDITED BY
J/1MES PHINNEY MUNROE

LIBRARY

OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

Class

Adventures

of

An Army Nurse

/

Adventures

of an

Army Nurse in Two Wars

Edited from the Diary and Correspondence
rf

Mary Phinney

Baroness von Olnhausen

By
James Phinney Munroe

With a Portrait

Boston

Little, Brown, and Company
1904

SG nnoM

Copyright, 1903,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

All rightt reserved
Published October, 1903

UNIVERSITY PRESS • JOHN WILSON
AND SON • CAMBRIDGE, U.S. A.

ADVENTURES

OF

AN ARMY NURSE

IN TWO WARS

CHAPTER I

IN the south part of the historic town of Lex
ington, Massachusetts, lies a farm of many
acres gently sloping from high, wooded
hills on the east towards the valley of Hobbs'
Brook — now converted into a reservoir for Cam
bridge — on the west. Divided by the shaded
country road which leads from Lexington village,
past the birthplace of Theodore Parker, to the city
of Waltham, this farm comprises on the one side
orchards and cultivated meadows, on the other
a wide expanse of grass-land sweeping in soft
curves around the site of the dwelling-house and
accented at the roadway's edge by magnificent
rock maples brought from New Hampshire by
" Squire " Phinney seventy years ago. This es
tate, the beauty of which is unsurpassed in Lex
ington, was almost continuously, from 1786 to

219181

2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

1849, the home of Elias Phinney, the father of
Mary (Phinney) von Olnhausen.

The first New England Phinney, John, came
to Cape Cod about nine years after the landing of
the Pilgrims, and settled in what is now the town
of Scituate. His son John married Mary Rogers,
granddaughter to that Thomas Rogers who was
a passenger on the first " Mayflower " voyage and
a signer of the " Compact." In the third genera
tion from them was a Benjamin Phinney who,
since he removed to Granville, Nova Scotia, in
1774, and did not return until 1786, it is fair to
presume was a Tory. This suspicion is deepened
by the fact that he did not come back to Falmouth,
where he was born, but to Lexington, at that time
remote enough from Cape Cod to escape any pos
sible lingerings of local animosity.

This Benjamin Phinney and his wife, Susanna,
had nine children. Of these the seventh, and the
last to be born in Nova Scotia, was Elias, who, at
the age of six, came with his father and mother to
the farm in Lexington. Educated in the district
school and by the harder tuition of a large farm;
practised, too, in cabinet making, which was his
father's trade, Elias fitted himself for Harvard
College, paid his own way there, and was grad
uated in the Class of 1801. Electing thereafter
to follow the law, he studied with an eminent

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3

lawyer in Maine and practised his profession in
Thomaston for about ten years.

Eight years after his graduation from Harvard,
Elias Phinney married Catherine Bartlett, daugh
ter of Dr. Josiah Bartlett, of Charlestown, Massa
chusetts. This Dr. Bartlett, born in 1759, had
attended Harvard College. His studies inter
rupted by the opening Revolution, he had taken
up surgery in the office of Dr. Isaac Foster, and,
as surgeon's mate, had tended the wounded of
Bunker Hill and of later battles of the War for
Independence. Not only in surgery, but in his
tory and archaeology, Dr. Bartlett made for
himself an honored name; and, as a Mason, he
repeatedly filled the office of Grand Warden of the
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. A funeral ora
tion upon George Washington, an address of
welcome to President Monroe when that official
visited Charlestown, and a history of Charlestown
are among the literary productions of a man who
was a leading citizen of his day and town. Dr.
Bartlett married Elizabeth Call, of Charlestown,
and by her had sixteen children, of whom the
second, Catherine, became the wife of Elias
Phinney.

Two or three years after their marriage, the
Phinneys removed from Thomaston to Charles-
town, and he continued there the practice of the

4 Adventures of an Army Nurse

law, holding many estates in trust, and taking a
prominent part in the affairs of the town until,
in 1823, his father being then over seventy years
of age and unable to carry on the work of the
farm alone, Elias, who had always hungered for
agriculture, was easily persuaded to return to
Lexington. After removing to that town he con
tinued to go daily to his office in Charlestown,
there to carry on an ever-increasing practice of
the law, until in 1831 he was appointed Clerk of
the Judicial Court for the County of Middlesex.
He entered upon his duties June 19, 1831, and
from that time until his death faithfully attended
the sittings during the sessions of the court and
went daily to the Court House in East Cambridge
in vacations. Only on Thursdays of those vaca
tions was he free to stay at home ; and it is extra
ordinary that with such limited opportunity for
supervision, with regular duties which often took
him from Lexington before daylight and kept him
away until after dark, he could have accomplished
so much in agriculture.

For, in a day when scientific methods were
almost unknown, scientific agriculture became in
creasingly Mr. Phinney's avocation. He was for
many years a trustee of the State Agricultural
Society; he was active in the importation and
breeding of Ayrshire cattle; new fruits and vege-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 5

tables, including the tomato, were the subject of
his ceaseless experimentation; while the genuine
study of fertilizers, of soils, of rotation of crops, of
breeding, of grafting, gave him a wide reputation
among those to whom farming meant something
more than a routine of ploughing, sowing, and
reaping. This widely known experimentation, his
seven charming daughters (Harvard College was
but five miles away), and his abundant hospitality
made his house a centre for learned and brilliant
men, both old and young. " No man in Massa
chusetts," it is declared in a sketch of him, " had
so large a circle of friends ; " and this statement,
in various phrasing, is the keynote of every no
tice which his death called forth. Chief-Justice
Shaw, Josiah Quincy, Dr. Warren, Daniel Web
ster, Rufus Choate, the Lawrences, were but a
few of the host of those who sought and always
found a welcome at his house.

His vocation, the law, and his avocation, farm
ing, still left him time to take active part in the
affairs of Lexington. His name was for many
years prominent in the annals of the town; it was
he who welcomed Lafayette when that remarkable
man came to Lexington ; it was he who presided
when, in April, 1835, the bodies of those who had
been killed at the Battle of Lexington were re
moved from the old cemetery to their present rest-

6 Adventures of an Army Nurse

ing-place and Edward Everett made his famous
oration; it was he who, as chairman of a com
mittee appointed by the town, took the affidavits
of the survivors of the battle, and with those as a
basis wrote an authentic and graphic history of
that memorable day.

Of a commanding though always courteous
bearing, a man of the world and yet intensely
devoted to the interests of his adopted town, the
enlightened possessor and developer of many fruit
ful acres, the dispenser of a hospitality as simple
as it was unbounded, Elias Phinney early secured
and always retained the rather unusual title of
" Squire." To an extraordinary degree he ful
filled the English idea of that title, glorifying it,
moreover, with the higher ideals of his American
environment.

In the summer of 1847 there fell upon him a
blow of peculiar sadness. The house in which,
with the exception of a few years, he had lived
for six decades was destroyed by fire, together
with the greater portion of its contents and many
of the fine shade-trees which he had taken so much
pleasure in planting. Within a few days, how
ever, over three thousand dollars to build another
house had been subscribed and sent to him, with
warmest expressions of sympathy and regard.
Chief among these liberal givers were the Law-

Adventures of cm Army Nurse 7

rences, Peter C. Brooks, David Sears, John C.
Gray, Dr. Warren, John Welles, Henry Codman,
Francis C. Lowell, William P. Mason, Josiah
Quincy, and James Vila.

He did not, however, long survive. Hardly
had the family moved into their new home,
scarcely had he begun to try to repair the rav
ages of the flames on his beloved shade-trees,
when, on the 24th of July, 1849, Mr. Phinney
died in the sixty-ninth year of his age. His
widow survived him fourteen years.

Elias and Catherine Phinney had ten children,
— seven daughters and three sons. The fifth
child and the fourth daughter was Mary, born
on the third day of February, 1818. Receiving
her earlier schooling at the Franklin — familiarly
known as the "Kite End" — district school, Mary
later attended the Lexington Academy, and finally
was a pupil at Smith's Academy in Waltham.
Both these schools had local reputation; and the
building occupied by the Lexington Academy was
later made famous by the fact that there, in 1839,
was established, under the mastership of Cyrus
Peirce, the first Normal School in the United
States.

Living an active life on a busy and extensive
farm, performing necessarily a large share of the
labor of the house and the garden, the daughters

8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

of the Phinney household were not infected by
the fashion of that time requiring young women
to be languishing, pearly-hued, timid, accom
plished only in " ladylike " but wholly useless
arts. Rather they seem to have anticipated the
young women of the present day; for they were
active, unaffected, healthy, vigorous, able to turn
their hands to any sort of useful labor. Mary,
however, was more " emancipated " even than
the others. Some years before the day of Mrs.
Bloomer, she fashioned for herself out of calico
a " bloomer " costume which she wore when at
work in the garden. At a time when to be igno
rant of nature was thought a sign of good breed
ing, she knew every flower and insect of the wood
and field; in a generation whose women shud
dered at a grasshopper, she used to tame spiders
and to give pocket-refuge to toads and snakes; in
an age whose pale heroines were occupied mainly
in graceful swooning, she acted the nurse and sur
geon for every wound in a populous and venture
some neighborhood. Farm work, too, had the
highest interest for her ; and with perhaps a little,
characteristic exaggeration she used to recall the
many moonlight evenings on which she helped her
father — that being his only leisure time — graft
apple-trees until ten o'clock at night. An accom
plished needlewoman, as were all the sisters, Mary

Adventures of an Army Nurse 9

had also a marked talent for drawing, the exer
cise of which was to prove the real vocation of
her life.

The death of Mr. Phinney in 1849 compelled
the sale of his farm, and threw those of his daugh
ters who were yet unmarried upon their own re
sources. Mary, taking advantage of her unusual
facility in drawing, sought employment as a de
signer of print goods, then an absolutely new
career for women. The mills of those days were,
however, quite different from the factories of to
day. Even the unskilled mill girl then was not
in the least akin to those bold and unkempt women,
mainly foreigners, who now are seen streaming
from the establishments of our great factory towns.
What those mill girls were may be understood by
a few extracts from Lucy Larcom's "A New Eng
land Girlhood." She says: —

" What were we ? Girls who were working in a
factory for the time, to be sure ; but none of us had
the least idea of continuing at that kind of work
permanently. Our composite photograph, had it
been taken, would have been the representative New
England girlhood of those days. We had all been
fairly educated at public or private schools, and many
of us were resolutely bent upon obtaining a better
education. Very few among us were without some
distinct plan for bettering the condition of themselves
and those they loved. For the first time, our young

io Adventures of an Army Nurse

women had come forth from their home retirement
in a throng, each with her own individual purpose.
For twenty years or so, Lowell might have been looked
upon as a rather select industrial school for young
people. The girls there were just such girls as are
knocking at the doors of young women's colleges
to-day. They had come to work with their hands,
but they could not hinder the working of their minds
also. Their mental activity was overflowing at every
possible outlet. . . .

" I regard it as one of the privileges of my youth
that I was permitted to grow up among those active,
interesting girls, whose lives were not mere echoes
of other lives, but had principle and purpose distinctly
their own. Their vigor of character was a natural
development. The New Hampshire girls who came
to Lowell were descendants of the sturdy backwoods
men who settled that State scarcely a hundred years
before. Their grandmothers had suffered the hard
ships of frontier life, had known the horrors of savage
warfare when the beautiful valleys of the Connecticut
and the Merrimack were threaded with Indian trails
from Canada to the white settlements. Those young
women did justice to their inheritance. They were
earnest and capable; ready to undertake anything
that was worth doing."

Employed first at Dover, New Hampshire, in
the Cocheco Mills, Mary Phinney afterwards went
to the Manchester Print Works, at Manchester,
New Hampshire. In both cities she made many
delightful friendships that were destined to con-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 1

tinue all her life. Especially in Manchester did
she find agreeable associates among the cultivated
Germans who, driven from their own country by
the pressure following the political revolutions
there, had sought refuge in free America, and
were putting that extraordinary technical knowl
edge in which they have so long led the world to
practical use in the rapidly developing manufac
tures of New England. Conspicuous in this
congenial German-American colony was Gustav,
Baron von Olnshausen, or, as he preferred to call
himself, Gustav A. Olnhausen.

The von Olnhausen family is of that old " Frei-
herr " stock, to belong to which places one, in
German eyes, above foreign princes and but little
below their own kings. Its unquestioned history
runs back for many centuries; and its old castle
of Schoenfels, perched high upon the hills over
looking Zwickau, Saxony (about sixty miles from
Dresden), is surrounded by a moat and is — or at
least was — furnished with all the appurtenances
of a mediaeval stronghold. Gustav, born about
1810, was the last male, in the direct line, of this
old family. Receiving his education at that period,
culminating in the revolutions of 1848, when all
Germany was in political ferment, he imbibed, and
doubtless advocated, democratic ideas that made
it wise, if not indeed necessary, for him to live

i 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

away from his native Saxony. His history before
coming to America is not definitely known;1 but it
is certain that he resided for some years in Russia,
acquiring fluent knowledge of the language of
that country, and that he travelled extensively in
other lands. In Germany or elsewhere he gained
what for those days was an unusual proficiency
in the science and art of chemistry. Theodore
Parker, who knew him well, declared him to be
one of the most learned men that he had ever met.
Entirely out of sympathy with the feudal in
stitutions and atmosphere of his native country,
the income of his estate so reduced by changed
commercial conditions as to have necessitated the
sale of the old home at Zwickau, his sisters 2 and
half-sisters married, Gustav von Olnhausen came
finally to America, was doubtless attracted by the
other Germans living there to Manchester, New
Hampshire, and found employment, as chemist, in
the dye-houses of the Manchester Mills. In that
city he met Mary Phinney, loved her, and soon
found that she too loved him. Most worthy, too,
of her affection he must have been. Learned in
language, in literature, in science, he was never-

1 See Appendix A.

2 One of these sisters married a von Roemer, and another a von
Rohrscheidt. As will appear later, their brother's widow visited
these ladies (themselves then widowed) after the Franco-Prussian
War, spending with them and with others of her husband's relatives
two of the most delightful years of her life.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 3

theless as unassuming as a little child; brought
up in the formal etiquette of a German provincial
town, he was as simple and unconventional as was
Miss Phinney, herself a rebel against the restric
tions placed about the women of her day ; a mem
ber of an aristocracy that still believes in the
divine right of kings and nobles, he was a demo
crat of the sturdiest, most thoroughgoing sort.
All these qualities appealed to her as did her free,
vigorous womanhood to him; and their engage
ment seems to have been a foregone conclusion
long before it became an actual fact.

The economic value of technically trained men
was, however, then so little recognized, the panic
of 1857 had so hampered business and manufac
turing, that Mr. von Olnhausen's salary seems to
have been very small. Not until more than a year
after their engagement, therefore, did he find him
self financially able to marry; and, after mar
riage, their housekeeping was of a most modest
sort. A little house filled with flowers, ferneries,
aquaria (for they were alike in their love of na
ture), and peopled with birds, lizards, and even
tamed toads, was the centre of their happiness;
their chief pleasure, beyond that of their perfectly
sympathetic life together, being found in their
work, in holiday walks through the woods, and
in picnics and little impromptu parties with their

1 4 Adventures of an Army Nurse

many friends. That simple way of enjoying life
which the Germans have learned and which we
Americans have not, was as congenial to Mary
von Olnhausen as it was to her husband; and
her brief years of marriage were undoubtedly the
happiest of all her life. The only interruption of
their gentle tranquillity was in her occasional visits
to Lexington and to Watertown, where she had
relatives and friends.

A glimpse of this happy time is given in the
following letters of Mr. von Olnhausen' s, the first
two written before their marriage, the third after
that fortunate event.

Wednesday evening.

MY OWN DEAR MOLLY, — Instead of the intended
company, I am writing you, and I really enjoy it
much better. K. is sick since a few days and so I
better postponed the assembly, but anyhow I shall
have it sometimes this week for celebrating the merry
Christmas. I liked this feast so much as child and old
remembrances let me like it now yet. I should like
we could it pass sometimes in Germany — they think
so much about it there — it 's principally a merry
time for the children, but old people enjoy it just as
much. We shall pass much happier the next than
this one — my dear girl — at least I, and any where
we shall be. I shall quite arrange it in german
fashion. I remember home so often this evening, for
it 's the time when every one is quite busy in the prep
arations — and quite happy already in its expectations

Adventures of an Army Nurse i 5

— a quite pleasant evening. The Ladies whirling
round yet in the full pride of domestic activeness and
making use of all sciences for producing delicacise
and dainties, such as never are seen in the whole
other part of the year; red the lively faces from
excitement and kitchen-heat, they distribute a few
small specimens of their artfulness, just to hear
praised themselves and to be fervently asked for a
few more : — the Gentlemen in the mean time are
preparing the Christmastree, gilding nuts and apples,
fixing the wax-candles and fastening threads round
all the stars and candies and sugar-figures, destined
for swinging between the branches of the enchanted
tree. The children are already sent to bed, full of the
expectation of the coming day — all have been during
the last weeks the best children of the world, afraid
to loose by disobedience love and presents of the little
Christ and just as anxious about it as I am about your
love.

What a nice present I shall give you next year my
sweet child, when you have been good, and have I
been so, I am sure, you will recompense me and be
it only by a kiss. Are we not both like children yet

— why should we not remain so our whole life?
Children only, it is said, go to heaven — but also here
on earth — we shall not be childish but the more
childrenlike the happier we are.

PISCATOQUAW VALLEY.

MY DEAR MOLLY, — May it be made known to
my Queen, that I just am feeling myself in a state of
mind and body, as no other King of earth can feel
better — provided he is a bachelor. My throne I rest

1 6 Adventures of an Army Nurse

upon is glittering from mica and garnets, green moss
is spread round and like a beautiful carpet widely but
tastefully embroidered with mayflowers, cheering at
once the eyes and the (how prosaicly nose sounds)
odoriferous sense. It is true the banquet, just fin
ished, consisted only in sausage and crackers, but the
appetite makes the meal and not the dishes. Just
beside me a small brook offers me its cool and clear
water for refreshment, and is murmuring to me so
many confuse and strange stories like from the fairy
land. The song of hundreds of frogs will not har
monize well with the dreams of the brook, but they
are in a proper distance, — distance improves every
thing — and you are in my mind so near associated
with them, so that I don't hear exactly your voice,
your dear voice, amongst them — no — but that I
really imagine I hear them call your name.

I wonder if you knew that we have Fastday today
and came to take the walk with me. I cannot thank
heaven enough for sending us such a beautiful day —
for it should be really hard to spend such an excited
day in town. My principal aim today is less natural
history than walking, for I feel how much I need it
after that frightful weather. But anyhow besides
some bugs and beetles I got a green snake, I am very
glad of for trying my Alcohol substitute in respect of
the change of the color, and — an old, of course —
but entirely new birdsnest entirely made from lichens,
I never have seen before. Now I am sitting between
Manchester and Goffstown, where I came partly on
the railroad, partly along the right bank of the
Squaw R. — and can probably not be far from Goffs
town. I cannot find any bridge over that little river

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 7

— to go the same road back is too tiresome and prob
ably not much shorter — en avant — courage then

— soon more from my headquarters. ( Friday morn
ing.) The poor king of the day in what a helpless
condition he came home in the evening! What a
humiliating lesson for his pride! But why? Kings
can be tired like other people and sooner yet. With
out a strengthening glass of cyder in the Amoskeag
Hotel I don't know if I ever should have reached
home. And then at home how delicious the tea, how
savory the boiled potatoes, and for dessert an orange

— and the King was King again !

Sunday evening.

MY DEAR WIFE, — The day passed better than I
expected ; — when you stay much longer, I shall quite
fall back in my old bachelor's habits and faults. I
staid at home till 3 p. M. in the highest enjoyment an
Italian thinks life can offer, in a dolce far niente, just
to do what you like and should it be nothing. There
was quite a summer heat a la Molly, — and I found
only a little consolation in the thought, that I am sure,
you are at least comfortable, one of the " perhaps
few " mortal souls who could be so in that foretaste
of hell or purgatory where the Catholics think we
must all come to. At 3 Mr. M. came to fetch me for
a walk and we fetched O. and out we went and had
a hard work through fields and woods. We had a
really first rate supper at O.'s — Dandelion's Salad
and ham and potatoes and tea and sour cyder. Be
glad that you are not here today (Monday) for of
course, I am cross like a crow. It 's only 5 A. M. and
I am already writing you, but of course, having ne
glected my duty, not to have written you yesterday,

1 8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

how could I have slept longer ! I wonder that I could
sleep at all and more so that I slept as sound as I did.

I was really unhappy Saturday night coming 2
minutes too late to the Postoffice, but I got your
letter just now. I am mad — like — like — I don't
know anything what can be so mad — so there is
now an inkspot on the clean table (it is yours), but
what do I care. I am mad and will not write a single
letter more — " instead Wednesday you come only
Thursday/' I know, I shall see you no more this
week ; your next letter will add again a day more and
so on. I unfortunate, stupid and most enamoured of
all husbands. When my rage has subsided, perhaps
tomorrow — perhaps today already, more! I will
not say " stay as long as you will " for you might
really be capable to stay till to the world's end. When
you love me you come soon.

Mad! That . . . cyder and your letter — you
shall not have an aquarium, you don't deserve it, you
don't love me; but anyhow I will be true and will
love you as I have done from now till in all eternity,
Amen. You see, better feelings overcome already my
madness; but I will not be good today, and I shall
let whither all the fine bouquets I have decorated the
room with, and shoot the blinds and let not light and
sun in and go to bed — no — to work. Do the same
and be a good girl (perhaps anyhow I build you an
aquarium) and remember and love your

loving

GUSTAV.

They were married on May Day, 1858, by
Theodore Parker. Within little more than two

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 9

years, Mr. von Olnhausen developed a serious
organic disease from which relief had finally to be
sought through a surgical operation.1 For this
he went to the Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston. The operation was successful; but,
other complications arising, it was impossible for
the patient to rally; and he died after several
weeks of pain, borne with much fortitude, on the
seventh of September, 1860.

To remain single until one's fortieth year; then
to love and to be loved with the ardor and simpli
city of youth ; and, in the third year of marriage,
to lose one's husband was, of course, a crucial
experience. It might have made a less active and
unselfish nature hard, brooding, hopeless, and em
bittered. With Mary von Olnhausen this tremen
dous experience proved to be really the beginning
of her life. That love which might have been
given, had he lived, solely to her husband, was to
be expended during the coming years for others ;
that activity which might have been limited to
the little house in Manchester was to find con
spicuous satisfaction on both sides of the world.

1 See Appendix B.

W

CHAPTER II

ITHIN two months after the death of
Mr. von Olnhausen, his widow had de
termined to begin her work for others by
going to the help of her younger brother and his
invalid wife, in Illinois. This brother, George,
as enamoured as was his father of agriculture,
had been tempted by the wonderful fertility of
the middle West to leave the rocky hillsides of
New England for those vast prairies whose virgin
soil was as rich as it was easy of cultivation. The
life of the pioneer, however, is never comfortable;
limited capital and remoteness from markets made
the working of the Illinois farmland unusually
difficult and uncertain; drought and destructive
insects often played havoc with the crops; and,
worst of all, the hard life and the malarial atmos
phere distressingly, and at last fatally, affected the
wife's health. With four little children, and with
their mother almost incapacitated by hardship and
by ague, the brother was certainly in great need of
such help as his sister Mary could give; and she
did not hesitate to take what was then a serious

Adventures of an Army Nurse 2 1

journey, and to place herself in conditions which
she knew to be both difficult and disagreeable. In
the following extracts from that autobiography,
which, at the earnest wish of her friends, she
began several years before her death, she gives a
vivid impression of her arrival on the prairie, and
of some of the incidents of her life there.

[Frotn the Autobiography.]

A six hours' ride over the prairie with just
enough snow to limit the landscape and not
enough to hide the deep black mud which seemed
to swallow the struggling oxen and horses, made
one glad that the next station was the end of this
tiresome journey. I did not know what desola
tion was until I came in sight of that station, — a
barn-like structure, with one single house as com
panion, planted in the everlasting mud. I could
not believe it was the right place, especially as no
carriage was waiting and no soul was visible but
the station-master, who led me into a barren room
and bade me sit until my brother should appear.
The windows were curtained with dust, the fire
nearly out, and the chair hard and uncomfortable.
After a dreary wait, a wagon came in sight, — a
long, low wagon without springs drawn by a sorry
pair of mules, the driver sitting in a rush-bottomed
chair. This proved to be my brother and the ex-

22 Adventures of an Army Nurse

pected " carriage." After shaking off the snow
and greeting me warmly, he put the trunks on
the wagon, sat on one of them, and gave me the
chair. Starting off at the slowest imaginable pace,
I soon made acquaintance with a slough, a ditch
of mud, that might some time have been a bottom
less stream, so wide and deep that it seemed im
possible ever to reach the other side. Not a house
was in sight, — and indeed one could not see, the
snow became so thick, and we rode and rode as
if it would never end. The great sorrow I had
left behind came back with twofold force, and the
desolation of that dismal prairie hidden by falling
snow was more than I could bear.

At last we came to a little house standing upon
four posts, with free play for the winds beneath.
At its open door were clustered three or four chil
dren eagerly looking for the new friend. But how
to get to those expectant faces, with just a very
slanting board leading up to them? Outstretched
hands, however, helped me up the slippery plank,
a warm welcome and a cup of hot tea soon
comforted one, and the children were pretty and
good ; so I became able to answer eager questions
and to talk of the delicious things in store for
them in the morning, when the boxes and trunks
should be opened. I had so much to relate that it
was late when we went to bed, which involved

Adventures of an Army Nurse 23

taking a now sleeping child under one's arm,
scrambling up a ladder, and crawling through a
hole into the only other room of the house. In
this attic-room, with only a quilt dividing it, all
the household, except the hired man, slept.

The morning waking was cold and forlorn
enough; the house being neither plastered nor
shingled, every breath of wind swept through
it. The well had been dry for weeks, so all had
to be set at work to melt snow. The wife was
too feeble, from a long " spell " of chills, to do
any work, so it all fell to me, and it seemed like
one of those tasks set by cruel masters in fairy
books. A grand dinner was improvised for the
day, but the morrow was to be the sacred feast
of Thanksgiving. I had timed my visit for this
special occasion. As soon as we had dined, the
boy, six years old, was put upon one of the mules,
and was sent, with true Western hospitality, to
invite the only neighbors with whom they " vis
ited " to the coming feast, and we all began the
preparations. The pudding and pies were all from
home and had only to be heated; but that turkey
was of wonderful size and needed much work to
make it ready for the oven.

The next morning was sunny and delightful.
At ten o'clock the neighbor's wagon appeared, —
a wagon with springs and drawn by quite swift

24 Adventures of an Army Nurse

horses. It was considered a wonderful turnout.
This neighbor's family consisted of father, mother,
two boys, and the wife's brother; they were people
who had lived in a town, knew what good things
were, and proved pleasant and intelligent. The
men, in Western fashion, sat with chairs tipped
back against the wall, the children rushed up and
down the ladder, making all the noise they could,
so one can imagine what that room was with
seven grown people and six children and the mud
and steam and odors from the stove. But to see
the enjoyment of them all when the dinner was
served was a real pleasure. This was an unheard-
of day on the prairie and was long talked of.

When the spring began to come all was changed ;
the wonderful sounds were enchanting and so
new to me. The wild geese and ducks passing
overhead from morning till night, the crows trum
peting, the prairie chickens calling their mates, and
the variety of beautiful flowers, — all made the
prairie seem like paradise. One could see seven
miles, both east and west, to where the " timber "
grew, and only' three houses in all that wide
extent.

One morning, just as we were breakfasting with
some friends who had come to pass the night, a
man rode up to the door in great haste, saying,
" Mr. Phinney, what ails your corn-patch ? "

Adventures of an Army Nurse 25

" Nothing, only that I have the best stand of corn
in the country." " Well, go look at it now."
My brother went out without hat or breakfast, for
it was a long distance to the corn-patch, and we
went up to the chamber window. The whole land
as far as we could see was bare, — not a green
thing. Then, of course, we rushed out, and such
a sight! The ground was covered with a mov
ing mass of worms several inches deep, one layer
crawling over another. George said it was the
army worm, of which there was some tradition,
though no one had ever seen it there. George
rushed, got the mules out, and ploughed a deep
trench at the edge of the field, for they were
making for his wheat field. Then he fastened
a log to a horse and all day long a boy rode back
and forth crushing the worms as they fell into the
ditch. For a few hours in the night they stopped ;
but at break of day they started again and the
log was once more put in motion. By this means
the wheat and vegetables were saved. I shall
never forget the discouragement on George's face
as he saw all his spring work destroyed and with
it his hopes of paying for his farm.

My cousin, Dr. B., who was staying with us,
said to me, "Will you help me plant it over?"
Of course I was glad to do anything; so though
George said it was no use, fresh corn was shelled

26 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and the old corn-planter put in order. This was
a very clumsy affair, one of the earliest made.
It had a button on the wheels, and whenever that
turned up a lever was pulled out, and the corn
dropped. One can think how monotonous it was
to sit all day watching the wheels and jigging
this lever. Up high at the back sat the driver,
who was not very expert, howling at the mules.
They, never very swift, were now intolerably
slow; so it took much " dog-gorning " and much
" hickory ing " to make them get up, and the re
sulting noise was deafening. The sun was never
so hot and the dust never so unbearable. These
were the longest days I ever passed; but at last
it was finished and the eighty devoured acres were
planted again. George said it was useless work,
— everybody's corn was a foot high or more, no
corn could ripen after the tenth of June; but we
had hopes, and, sure enough, he never had a better
or a bigger crop. One day we took a drive across
the railroad and there AVC saw everywhere the
effects of the army worm. Luckily it appears
only at long intervals.

On the prairie every one had so many dogs that
it was a marvel how they were fed, or, indeed,
how they lived. They ate even the corn from the
cob, and stole anything that was not under lock.
One day when all the men had gone to a neighbor-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 27

ing town to haul corn, we heard a great barking,
and the boys rushed in to tell us that the dogs were
after one of the recently bought pigs, the first
that we had had. When we arrived on the scene
they had tasted blood and it was all up with that
pig. His ears were off, and he was bitten in many
places. I rushed for the butcher-knife, for we all
wanted fresh meat even more than the dogs did;
and if the pig must be eaten, C. and I thought it
best for us to have the benefit. So we set the
boys to beat off the dogs, and the eldest helped
to hold the pig while we stabbed him, vainly try
ing to hit a vital spot. At last the animal gave
up, and C., in the mean time, having heated water,
we dragged him to a board and commenced the
dreadful job of getting off the hair. Having only
seen it done, we made not the neatest work of it.
All the while the fight between the boys and the
dogs, occasionally helped with a dash of water,
was going on. The combined efforts of all were
needed to mount that slippery plank and get the
pig under cover from the dogs. When George
returned, his indignation at seeing one of his pet
pigs lying on that floor was strange to see; but
when he learned the truth he sat down beside the
departed beast and laughed till we thought he
would never end.

One night the doctor was called to a neighbor's

28 Adventures of an Army Nurse

where the woman was " very bad," the girl who
brought the message said. In the morning he
asked me to go to see her; so I mounted behind
him on the mare, and, though the mud was so
deep that I thought it impossible to get there, we
at last arrived. The cabin contained only one
room; in it were two beds and two trundle-beds;
eight children were sitting around a stove burn
ing the hoof off of some pig's-feet, and the room,
of course, was filled with their vile odor. The
mother lay on the bed, clad in a prairie sunbonnet
and a calico wrapper; beside her lay a little, red
baby with a piece of fat bacon in its mouth. This
was always the manner of treating babies there,
she told me. She had a very long hickory stick
beside her, and when the children quarrelled she
brought it down on them with, "You Mary Ann,"
or, " You Susan Jane," reducing them to order at
once. I asked her to take off her bonnet, but she
said that if she did it would give her rheumatism
in her head. She never took it off except when
eating. Whatever else a prairie woman or child
lacks in costume it is never a sunbonnet. When
I came to know this woman better I found her
to be one of the finest nature. She was a " poor
white " from Virginia ; but she was so true in all
her relations in life, so generous, and always seek
ing to do a kindness.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 29

At this time the news was most discouraging, the
papers full of rumors of war, and so many people
about us poor whites from the South, nearly all
of them being Rebels, that it was anything but
cheerful. The post-office was four miles away;
and often many days went by without letters or
papers; and now and then such appalling news
came that I wonder we could enjoy anything.
Soon the rumors of war were confirmed with the
news of Fort Sumter and the terrible affair of
Bull Run. I immediately wrote to all the people
of influence I knew, begging them to procure me
some place in the war as nurse, or whatever I
could do. Then I waited and waited for a year
before I could learn how to get a position; for
down there no one seemed to know how to do
anything. Finally I determined to go back to
Massachusetts and find some way to work for the
soldiers. That year of waiting is as a blank to
me; we heard nothing but discouraging rumors,
and were all so poor. The crops were good
enough, but there was no way to get them to
market, for the railroad was in the possession of
the military. We had two years' crop on hand,
and most of the cattle died; so we burned corn
all that winter. It seemed so wicked. When I
started for the East I for the first time realized
the war in seeing regiments departing from every

30 Adventures of an Army Nurse

city, and in finding it almost impossible to get
anywhere.

Arrived in Boston, I appealed immediately to
Miss Dix, who promised to place me at once, but
who delayed so long that I was beginning to
doubt her, when the summons came to start for
Washington. This was on Saturday, and Monday
night I must leave; so everybody helped, and I
was at the station in time to join my escort. This
was in August of 1862.

CHAPTER III

MARY VON OLNHAUSEN'S recollec
tions of the Civil War are contained in
the Autobiography before referred to
and in letters written to her relatives at home.
The first is fragmentary, far from consecutive,
and, as would be inevitable, frequently in disagree
ment with the letters. Those, on the other hand,
are seldom dated; and many pages from them,
as well as many entire letters, are wanting. There
fore the narrative is not always unbroken, and
the story frequently lacks those salient features
which letters written with an eye to publication
would have been almost certain to possess. To
see the Civil War from the comparatively new
point of view of these unstudied sketches is, how
ever, in itself interesting. To read through these
artless pictures the strong, unselfish character of
a noble woman is doubly worth while.

A few pages from the Autobiography will serve,
by their conciseness, as a sort of preface to the
more detailed letters which are then to follow.

32 Adventures of an Army Nurse

[From the Autobiography.]

Miss Dix, who had been appointed by the
President head of the army nurses, took me from
Washington to Alexandria to the Mansion House
Hospital. She told me on the journey that the
surgeon in charge was determined to give her no
foothold in any hospital where he reigned, and
that I was to take no notice of anything that
might occur, and was to make no complaint what
ever might happen. She was a stern woman of
few words.

There seemed to be much confusion about the
Mansion House — which before the war was a
famous hotel — and every part of it was crowded.
She left me in the office and went in search of
Dr. S. The sight of the wounded continuously
carried through on stretchers, or led in as they
arrived from the boats that lay at the foot of the
street on which the hospital stood (this was just
after that awful Cedar Mountain battle [August
9] ) , seemed more than I could bear, and I thought
Miss Dix would never come. At last she appeared,
with Dr. S., who eyed me keenly and, it seemed
to me, very savagely, and gave me in charge of
an orderly to show me to the surgical ward, as
it was called. It consisted of many small rooms,
with a broad corridor, every room so full of cots
that it was only barely possible to pass between

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 3

them. Such a sorrowful sight; the men had just
been taken off the battle-field, some of them had
been lying three or four days almost without
clothing, their wounds never dressed, so dirty and
wretched. Some one gave me my charges as to
what I was to do; it seemed such a hopeless task
to do anything to help them that I wanted to
throw myself down and give it up. Miss Dix left
me, and soon the doctors came and ordered me to
follow them while they examined and dressed the
wounds. They seemed to me then, and after
wards I found they were, the most brutal men I
ever saw. They were both volunteers, and one
was a converted Jew who was constantly pro
claiming it.

So I began my work, I might say night and
day. The surgeon told me he had no room for
me, and a nurse told me he said he would make
the house so hot for me I would not stay long.
When I told Miss Dix I could not remain with
out a room to sleep in, she, knowing the plan of
driving me out, said, " My child " (I was as nearly
as old as herself), "you will stay where I have
placed you." In the mean time McClellan's army
was being landed below us from the Peninsula.
Night and day the rumbling of heavy cannon,
the marching of soldiers, the groaning of the sick
and wounded were constantly heard; and yet in

3

34 Adventures of an Army Nurse

all that time I never once looked from the win
dows, I was so busy with the men.

One of the rooms of the ward was the operat
ing-room, and the passing in and out of those
who were to be operated upon, and the coming
and going of surgeons added so much to the gen
eral confusion. I doubt if at any time during the
war there was ever such confusion as at this
time. The insufficient help, the unskilful sur
geons, and a general want of organization were
very distressing; but I was too busy then and
too tired for want of proper sleep to half realize
it. Though I slept at the bedsides of the men
or in a corner of the rooms, I was afraid to com
plain lest I be discharged. I was -horribly igno
rant, of course, and could only try to make the
men comfortable; but the staff doctors were very
friendly and occasionally helped me, and some
one occasionally showed me about bandaging, so
by degrees I began to do better. The worst
doctor had been discharged, much to my joy, but
the other one, despite his drinking habits, stayed
on. After the morning visit it was no use calling
upon him for anything, and I had to rely on the
officer of the day if I needed help. I know now
that many a life could have been saved if there
had been a competent surgeon in the ward.

At this time the ward was full of very sick

Adventures of an Army Nurse 35

men and sometimes two would be dying -at the
same time, and both begging me to stay with
them, so I got little sleep or rest. Moreover, I
had no room of my own. Occasionally a nurse
would extend the hospitality of the floor in hers,
and I would have a straw bed dragged in on which
to get a few hours' sleep. This, with a hurried
bath and fresh clothes, was my only rest for
weeks. It was no use to complain. The sur
geon simply stormed at me and said there was
no room ; while Miss Dix would say, " You can
bear it awhile, my child; I have placed you here
and you must stay." I was at that time her only
nurse in the Mansion House. Later she suc
ceeded in getting rid of all the others and replacing
them with her own.

From the first letter, written from Washington,
it would appear that Miss Dix had intended to
take this new nurse to Culpeper (to which General
Banks' corps fell back after Cedar Mountain).
Some change of plan, however, led to her going,
instead, to the Mansion House Hospital at Alex
andria. There she remained until forced, in July,
1863, by a severe attack of dysentery, to ask for
a furlough and to seek recuperation with her sis
ters in Lexington.

36 Adventures of an Army Nurse

WASHINGTON, August, 1862.

I have just arrived and do not know when I
can write again. Miss Dix has just had a tele
gram that four hundred men lie at Culpeper with
wounds undressed and everything waiting. She
goes herself and takes me, so already the work
has begun. Miss Dix is n't one bit of a dragon
or griffin to me. She received me sweetly and
right off asked me to go with her. Help me
with your prayers and good wishes. I shall try
my best to make you feel I 'm not sent in vain.

The following record of the first six or seven
weeks of her experience gives but a faint idea of
what Mary von Olnhausen encountered in that
eventful time. With no experience of serious
wounds and with no knowledge of nursing be
yond what she had gained in her ministrations
to those among her family and friends who had
been ill, she was plunged, without preface, into
a crowded hospital during one of the bloodiest
campaigns of the Civil War. When she arrived
at the Mansion House, she had to make her way
through a double procession, one of seriously
wounded men being taken in, the other of dead
being carried out. With no easy and gradual
preparation, but on that very night, she was
called upon to assist at capital operations per-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 37

formed with little or no anaesthetic, by surgeons
who, naturally brutal, had been made doubly so
by the hurry of overwork and the magnitude of
their seemingly endless task. The operating-room
was literally a sea of blood, and its operators had
become little better than butchers.

To conditions so adverse were added a hostile
atmosphere and a disorganized service, or, rather,
a service that had never yet been organized. To
those who know or remember only the splendid
results of the war and the nobility of self-sacrifice
which made these results possible, it is difficult to
believe how rankly political corruption, favoritism,
and jobbery flourished in the Civil War, above all
in the years of its beginning. This hospital espe
cially, in the outskirts of Washington where had
gathered all the harpies and vultures of the politi
cal camp, was at that time filled with political
henchmen and their satellites, more eager for profit
than for the binding up of wounds. Superadded
to this corruption was the inevitable disorder and
inefficiency inseparable from the organizing of a
conflict so stupendous by a country unused to war.
And this unorganized, this overworked, this more
or less corrupt hospital staff was a unit in only
one direction, — that of hatred towards women
nurses and of determination to " make it so hot "
for them as to render it impossible for them to

38 Adventures of an Army Nurse

remain. To learn the profession of nursing, to
bring order out of chaos, to overcome the unrea
sonable prejudice of men brutalized by the horrors
of a crude and hurried surgery was the task that
Mary von Olnhausen had before her; and one
can easily accept her apologies for writing this
"growling" (as she calls it) letter.

September 21, 1862, Sunday afternoon.

At last I have a few moments that are really
my own and a room, too, to sit in that is really
mine, and I 'm so glad to be alone and writing
you. I have been so happy to get your two let
ters telling me about you all and especially about
that box ; — you can have no possible idea of the
good it will do. I know what all the Sanitary
committees in the North have done and how much
they think the poor soldiers are comforted ; but I
can assure you that in the way of delicacies they
get mighty little, — none in fact, — and, so far,
not even good, nourishing food. As I told the
Inspector General a few days since, both in qual
ity and quantity it is intolerable. While they are
feeding a thousand outsiders (which was the case
during the passing through of the troops and the
coming of the wounded), it was excusable; but
at no other time. The day before he came bean
soup was sent up so salt that no one could swal-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 39

low a second spoonful ; the beef tea was in the
same state; and the beans were so hard that all
would have had cholera morbus if they could have
eaten them.

Moreover, the cooks are so overbearing that it
is like begging for life to get a thing for the really
sick ones who cannot eat common diet. Yet the
nurses are obliged to do all extra cooking and are
not allowed the use of anything but tin cups or
plates; and if we ask for spoon or knife or milk
or eggs, you better hear the fuss ! The kitchen is
a perfect Babel at meal-times, and, rather than en
counter the noise, every day I buy eggs and milk,
in fact almost every nice thing for the sick ones.
I know I have a right to them here ; but I 've
learned enough to know that all who make com
plaints to headquarters are not only unpopular
there but are pitched into by all the house; so I
just speak to nobody, get what I can, and buy the
rest. Sometimes I can make eyes at the ice-box
man and he '11 give me a bit of chicken and mut
ton ; but he is n't always to be melted any more
than his ice, though he is the only one who really
seems to work for the soldiers. He 's quite a char
acter, and is the only man from Dr. S. down who
does n't swear. I 'm so disgusted with this last
that I think nothing is to be so longed for as to
be delivered from swearing, — it 's worse than

i

40 Adventures of an Army Nurse

temptation. Now you '11 thmk I am writing a
real growling letter; but I know you want to
know all, and Mrs. J.'s remarks that we live so
fine are utterly groundless. Her husband laughed
well at them.

Our bill-of-fare has been unvaried from the
time we came till now (I mean at the nurses'
table) ; almost always sour bread, and always the
worst possible butter, and coffee that can be imag
ined (I am speaking of breakfast), with sometimes
a bit of tough, overdone steak, often no milk, and
sometimes no butter. At dinner invariably worse
beef, very much done, sometimes potatoes and
sometimes not, and once in a while sweet pota
toes, which, you know, I hate (but I always claim
my share, as I can take it to some poor fellow in
my ward), together with, about once a week, a
small piece of pie. Twice we have had a change
of baked salt pork instead of beef. For supper
there are always the same sour bread and butter
and such tea; — and this is all. To-day I went
out and begged a little mutton soup. The cook
gave me some, growling, and said it was only
made for the sick. When I tasted it I thought it
was too poor for the well. They say we are going
to have a grand reform, that at Washington there
is to be a bill-of-fare issued and strictly enforced.

Then what we eat is as nothing to how we eat.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 41

We eat with all the cooks and kitchen attendants,
and to appreciate them you must once see and hear
them. Sometimes I think I cannot bear it another
hour, that I'll just leave here; but when I see
these miserable nurses and more miserable attend
ants who are here merely for the poor pay, I think
it cruel to go, for, if anywhere, I can do some
good here; these poor fellows have at least some
one to help them. All about the house say I 'm
so proud, and I always intend to be; but in my
ward the sick men do not think so, and the bless
ings and thanks I get from them are all I care
for. They, every one, seem as fond of me as if I
belonged to them, and I wish you could hear them
talk as I sit by their dying beds.

Every man except one has died so happy ; 1 and
he, poor fellow, was so afraid he would die that
at last he frightened himself into it. He was a
young sergeant from Ohio, only nineteen, and it

1 \From the Autobiography^

Some one once wrote to me to tell her of the different death-beds
I had witnessed, especially of the death-bed repentances. I can
only say that, with the exception of two, none of all my men was
afraid to die. I don't remember one who ever expressed repent
ance ; many wished to live, but all seemed to die without fear of
the future. The saddest thing about a death in the hospital is the
immediate removal of the body. The attendants come with the
white sheet which so closely enfolds them, they are silently taken
to the dead-house, and the work goes on as if they had never been.
Next morning the empty bed, fresh for another patient, is the only
reminder of the past night.

42 Adventures of an Army Nurse

was so pitiful to see him; but, mercifully, he was
unconscious for some hours before his death. His
father wrote me such a sorrowful letter. One
man sent for me in the middle of the night to
come and make his will. He took the ring from
his finger for his sister, and his watch and money
and notes, and had three other patients witness
it. He read it aloud to them in such a clear, loud
voice, and pretty soon he died. I read the Bible
to him, and he prayed so good; he said he was
glad to die, for he never could pray before and
his sister wanted him so much to be a Christian.

The poor little boy that I told you had lockjaw
died such an awful death. He dictated a pretty
boy letter to his mother, — it would have gone
right to your heart. He said : " You told me,
mother dear, I 'd either come home a cripple or
dead ; but, mother, I could n't stay home and see
all those noble boys go away to be shot and me
staying home and not helping too; but I killed
the Rebel who shot me, so he can't kill another
boy. He came around the tree after I fell and
then I took good aim and killed him." He was
such a dear little country boy, so good and natural ;
he said : " I 'd like to live real well, but then if
I can't, I '11 try to die and not make any more fuss
than I can help ; " but, poor fellow, he could n't
help it. He was n't seventeen. Colonel Hildreth,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 43

the man who exposed the swill milk, brought him
from the field l after he had lain there four or
five days. He took an ambulance and himself
alone drove through all and brought back a load
of them.

Did not our government do shamefully to let
so many lie there and die? I am so indignant I
can't hear of it. It was shameful, and here these
surgeons from Boston did all they could to get
leave to go to the field, and were denied. It was
too awful; you can't realize it unless you were
here to see them, as I have, brought in after such
suffering. One old Scotchman in my ward lay
six days and seven nights, and had only water
that the Rebels would now and then give him, and
nothing to eat all that time. Yesterday symp
toms of lockjaw appeared, and he will soon die
of it.

But now comes one of my great troubles; —
you know I was placed in a ward that had no
female nurse for a long time, and only a horrid,
wicked man for a ward master. He treated the
patients too cruelly; first thing I did was to have
him sent to his regiment, — it 's so painful to
know there are such bad men for soldiers. The
ward was dirtier than you can know, and not one
decent attendant, though the largest ward in the

1 Probably that of the second Bull Run.

44 Adventures of an Army Nurse

house. I 've told you how I worked ; all the sick
est I had charge of. About four weeks ago came
a nurse who said she had been in the Crimea, —
at any rate she was English and had been four
teen years in hospitals. They gave her a back,
upstairs ward. She, of course, knows about ban
daging and all that; but, like all old hospital
nurses, is no nurse otherwise. She is the one I
had to room with. I almost preferred no bed, as
at first; but I would not say one word, it seems
so selfish to complain here. Last week, just as I
was congratulating myself how well all went and
that the wards were so clean and orderly, up came
Dr. S. and thundered out : " Madam, I intend to
remove you; I intend Mrs. R. to have this ward;
this is the most important one in the house and I
consider her the most splendid nurse in the coun
try; and, by , those are the kind of women

I intend to fill this house with."

You may judge how bad I felt to leave those
men I had had right from the field, and they so
fond of me and good; they felt just as bad as I
did. It was sweet to hear so many " God bless
you's " and assurances that I had saved their lives.
I really believe them, for the doctor of the ward
was the most negligent, disagreeable, swearing
man I ever met, and left everything to me. Just
as I was departing we heard a fearful noise in the

Adventures of an Army Nurse 45

entry, and along was dragged my lady, by two
officers, dead drunk and swearing like a trooper.
So that 's the way she took possession of her new
ward! I think my exit was better than her en
trance. This, of course, made the poor fellows
feel ten times worse; and whenever I slip in to
see them now there are many tearful eyes, and
they beg me so to come back. You see I did
everything for them, — cooked them good things,
watched with them nights whenever they needed
me, and never left my ward except to eat or sleep ;
and they (a sister of hers has come to help her,
and they are both of a piece) are never there, —
just go over the wounds once or twice a day and
do nothing more. I acknowledge their superior
ity in bandaging; but even there I am getting
even with them; already the surgeon-general has
praised mine. My new place can't interest me like
the old one. I try to do for all alike, but my heart
is there most of the time. You may think it
strange that I do not leave such a house; but I
talked with the Chaplain,1 who is a Massachusetts

1 [From the Autobiography.']

I must speak at this time of our Chaplain [Rev. Henry Hop
kins, now President of Williams College]. Without him I think
I could not have gone through the trials I had to bear. Without
exception he was the truest friend and Christian and the bravest
man I ever knew. Night and day he was ready and willing to
attend the men, listen to their complaints, write their letters, and
comfort them in their last hours. Many a sorrowing one at home

46 Adventures of an Army Nurse

man and such a Christian, and he begs me to stay
here, says I must remember I came for the sol
diers, not myself, and here I can do more good
than anywhere else.

In the next letter reference is made to Lexing
ton as a source of supply for the Hospital. This

must have been comforted by his words written from these death
beds. He had a terrible experience at the second Bull Run battle
field, where our men lay for many days without food or water, the
ground being in the hands of the enemy. After long pleading, the
authorities gave him a pass and ambulance to go through the lines,
but he had neither escort nor surgeon. He started at nine o'clock
at night with, I think, twenty ambulances. It was raining hard, the
roads over which the army had so recently passed were in a fright
ful state, and he had to go on horseback the distance of fifty miles.
It was almost impossible to keep the train together, many of the
drivers were drunk, and some would fall asleep, letting their horses
stop and blocking those behind. So he must ride backward and
forward the whole night. In the early morning he arrived, and
what a sight of sorrow met him ! Of course all the rebels, both
wounded and dead, had been removed ; but our men lay as they had
fallen, days before. He began his search, and this, he said, was the
hardest task of his life, to decide whom to leave and whom to bring
away. Of course he could bring only those able to bear such a
journey. The others must be left. Think what a situation for them
and himself, every one begging so to be taken ! The men worked
well in loading the wagons, for they were anxious to get home, hav
ing had nothing to eat, since everything the Chaplain had with him
was distributed among those he must leave behind. After praying
with the poor fellows, he started on his weary journey back. All
that day he rode backward and forward, hearing only the groans of
the wounded and the oaths of the drivers, and did not arrive at the
hospital again until nine o'clock at night. I shall never forget his
weary face. The poor fellows he brought needed every comfort,
and nearly all the night was passed in caring for them.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 47

is a good place, therefore, to insert those extracts
from the Autobiography which bear upon the
work of the devoted women of that town.1 Their
ceaseless labors and unstinted generosity enabled
Mrs. von Olnhausen to do much for her soldiers
that otherwise would have been impossible; and
she never failed to give those ladies full credit for
their share in her work. Indeed, so generous was
her nature, that she perhaps assigned to them a
larger measure of credit than they would have
cared to claim. She, to whom most of the prod
uct of their busy hands went, says of them : —

[From the Autobiography^

I had constantly been receiving comforts of all
kinds for the sick and wounded in my care from
my kind friends at home. These I had always
kept in my own room (now I had one), giving
them, when needed, to the sick in other wards as
well as to those in my own. One day the head
surgeon sent for me, and said he heard I was in
the habit of receiving such things, and that he
had determined in future to have all such boxes
sent to the dispensary and distributed from there.
Therefore all such things as I had in my posses
sion must be sent there at once. I told him all I

1 An interesting account of the work of these active women is
given by Miss Hudson in the "Proceedings of the Lexington
Historical Society," VoL II. p. 197.

48 Adventures of an Army Nurse

had came from my personal friends in Lexington,
and sooner than have them given to his drunken
dispensary clerks to be eaten and drank and used
by them, I would throw them out upon the pave
ment. He said the complaint was constantly made
that my men were better served and cared for,
and petitions were constantly made to be admitted
there on that account. I assured him that I al
ways divided with all who really needed them.
Then he told me there was an order addressed to
me for a number of barrels of apples lying at the
wharf, that they were needed for the hospital, and
that I must give an order for them to be sent to
him at once. " No," I said, " those are for my
self, and I shall send them back unless I can do
with them what I choose." So I bade him adieu
and flew back to my room, expecting every mo
ment some new development.

Soon came another summons to the office. He
asked if I had changed my mind, as an order had
come that the apples must be at once sent for. I
told him " No." " Well, what will you do with
them ? " " Have them sent to my ward and from
there distributed, unless you will give me a store
room where they can be safely locked and the key
put in my charge." After a moment he asked, if he
would do that, would I be willing to place my
own stores there and take charge and distribute

Adventures of an Army Nurse 49

them as they were needed. I answered, " No, I
was there to dress wounds and care for the sol
diers personally, and I was too busy to do it and
take charge of my ward." He. became angry and
asked me to suggest some one to whom I would
be willing to give the room. A few days before
Miss Dix had brought to the hospital a widow
whom I could trust, so I suggested her ; and after
much talk the thing was settled. Meantime he
gave me a room for the apples; so by night they
were stored. Then I sent to every ward a barrel,
one to the cooks and one to the doctor. They
were a splendid lot, and so welcome, for we had
had only very little fruit and every one craved
it. Very soon the store-room was a fixed fact,
and I had the comfort of knowing that the whole
house enjoyed what was meant for the soldiers.

Lexington came to be a very dear place to all
I cared for. I am sure many who read these
papers will remember the name with gratitude
even without its sacred associations. It was such
a delight to receive a box from Lexington, and
the expectation of what had come was so great
that I usually made a little feast for the men's
tea. I always identified myself with Lexington,
and never can enough thank that little band of
good women who gave me the opportunity to do
so much good. Their interest never flagged. Till

4

50 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the very end of the war every month brought com
forts from them. A soldier never went from my
ward, either to his regiment or to his home, with
out some proper clothing and often a little money
to help him on the journey. For this I take no
credit; it was only through those dear friends I
was able to do it.

Wednesday [October, 1862],

To-night, for supper, I have made some butter
cakes for my men, and such a glorious hash;
and won't they think I 'm the best woman in the
house? They do, anyway; you ought to hear
them brag! I know old Lexington would be real
glad. I made gruel in my little saucepan the
first thing this morning. The cook flew at me
as I was going out of the kitchen : " Here, you
can't take that upstairs; it's against the rules."
I wanted to say " darn the rules," but I only
said, " It 's mine, I thank you," and I felt big. I
am always running against some of their rules;
but it 's hard keeping the run, they have so many.
Now I don't " say it for say," but no bandages
are like yours. I can do an arm or leg forty
times as well with them, and we are likely to
want all we have if the report is true of the big
battle. I dread to see the house filled again with
more poor sufferers. You would be amused to
hear me entertaining them in the evening. I go

Adventures of an Army Nurse 5 1

the whole rounds, taking my little camp-stool, or
kneeling beside their beds. They all treat me with
such confidence. I know all their histories and
sorrows; they talk just like I was their mother.
How I do wish I were real good and pious; I
could do so much then.

The remaining extracts from her letters for the
year 1862 are fully characteristic of this impul
sive, warm-hearted, enthusiastic, not always dis
criminating woman. Her denunciations of the
Post Camp (of which the " fever camps " of the
Spanish-American War seem to have been a mild
repetition), her personal affection for all her pa
tients, her unhesitating hospitality, the results of
which make her " bawl/' her good-natured ridi
cule of her guests and of herself picture Mary
von Olnhausen just as she was and as she re
mained to the end of her long life. She wore
her heart and her frank, open character upon her
sleeve, and many were the unworthy daws who
profited thereby.

ALEXANDRIA, November 9, 1862.

Did I tell you that Governor Andrew was here
one day, and in my ward, too? I was so sorry
to miss him; but, as usual, when anybody comes
I 'm cooking. He talked " bunkum " to the Mas-

52 Adventures of an Army Nurse

sachusetts boys ; they all felt so proud, and it made
the other boys quite jealous.

I wish you could look into my ward to-night
and see these miserable sick men who have come
in from the convalescent camp during the last
week. Such wrecks I never saw, all worn out
with fever and diarrhoea or some other chronic
complaint; it's worse than wounded men. This
horrid camp is about a mile from here and is
such a place! Several thousand have been there,
just lying on the ground in tents, many without
blankets, none with more than one, the worst pos
sible food to eat, and growing sicker and dying
every day. Your heart would ache forever after
if you could once see them. All discharged
from the hospitals, both here and at Washington,
are sent out there; it's called the Post Camp.
Men just getting up from wounds, fevers, and
other sickness, men who have been confined for
months in hospitals without any exercise or ex
posure, when pronounced fit to join their regi
ments, are sent out there to await orders. Some
of them lie for weeks there, not being able to
learn where their regiment is or even to get trans
portation to it. These are sure to get sick again,
and many of them die. The camp is so disor
ganized that it 's almost impossible to find a man
after he once gets into it.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 5 3

One night last week, about nine o'clock, five of
these men were sent to me, and I had but three
empty beds. Five such objects I never saw, —
three with typhoid, one German with shaking
palsy, and one with paralysis. They told me they
had been pronounced fit for duty and sent out
there, where they had been for three weeks or
more, every day growing sicker. The night before
it had rained steadily and they just lay in pools
of mud. What can our government be doing to
let such a place exist? Two of them have already
died and one of the others, I fear, will. The
Massachusetts man (from Plymouth) was brought
up in a smaller man's arms, like a baby; so you
can think how thin he was. He had his senses,
and talked so much about getting home and his
" Carry," it was just too pitiful. The Chaplain
wrote to her for him, and again after his death.

He and a young man from New York both died
last Sunday night; the other one never had his
senses after he came in, so we could find nothing
out about him; but he was always talking of his
mother; and when I called him Charlie he said,
'* That 's what mother called me; she always said
Charlie." He seemed to want me with him all
the time, would look around for me and get right
out of bed to follow me as soon as I left him.
They lay at extreme ends of the ward, so I just

54 Adventures of an Army Nurse

ran from one to the other all day. One died at
eight and the other at nine o'clock, so I could be
with both. I never leave a man to sleep or to eat
when I think he will soon die ; it seems at least as
if a woman ought to close these poor fellows' eyes ;
no mother or wife or sister about them. I feel
that I must be all to them then, and the last word?
of many dying men have been thanks for what I
have done. It is so splendid to be able to do any
thing for them ; I do not lose my interest or enthu
siasm one bit. Everybody said, when I first came,
" Oh, you '11 get over this after a while and be
hard just like us," but I never can. If possible,
I feel more than then.

Such a pleasant thing happened to-day. It was
snowing, and I was on my knees trying to make
my fire burn, when came a knock, and in walked
a young man. I thought I 'd seen his face, but
still it was so changed, I could not place him; he
had to tell me who he was. He was one of the
Culpeper boys who left for some Northern hos
pital the first of September. He was wounded
through the body, and was very sick while under
my care. He had just got back to the Post Camp
to join his regiment, and came at once to see and
thank me. The tears ran down his cheeks when
he told me how he missed my care and how sick
he had been since he left here. His wound re-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 55

opened and fever ensued, and for three days he
did nothing but call for Miss Mary (that 's what
they call me, my name is so hard). When he
came to his senses they all bothered him so; but
he told them he could never be shamed for that;
I was the best nurse and the best woman he knew,
and if all the nurses were like me many a poor
boy would get well who had died. He says that
all the other boys who went at that time said the
same. Of course I felt real grateful, but I think
the feeling was more for my friends and Lexing
ton than for myself. I should so hate to disap
point them, and am so proud when I make them
a pleasure.

One morning last week I heard that the First
Massachusetts and all that division were moving;
so I asked Dr. Stewart for an ambulance and went
out to the camp, hardly hoping that I should see
them, as all said I would be too late. How glad I
was I went! It was the finest sight I ever saw.
Far and near they were breaking camp, and from
a high hill we saw the whole division in motion;
it was grand. We had a chance to speak to every
body we knew, and to bid them good-bye. They
expected a fight immediately, but as yet we have
not heard of them. It made me sad enough,
though, to see them all going. I thought how
many of them would never come back. They

56 Adventures of an Army Nurse

were in splendid spirits — longed for a fight the
best kind. That 's the only time I 've been out
of the house since I wrote you last.

The disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, with
its great number of killed and wounded, took
place on December 13. Worn out with excitement
and fatigue, and justly indignant at the inadequacy
of the preparations for caring for the suffering
men, Mrs. von Olnhausen wrote : —

Monday night [December 15, 1862].

To-day has been such an awful day, bringing
in the wounded from Frederick. The whole street
was full of ambulances, and the sick lay outside
on the sidewalks from nine in the morning till
five in the evening. Of course, places were found
for some; but already the house was full; so the
most had to be packed back again and taken off
to Fairfax Seminary, two miles out. I have been
so indignant all day, — not a thing done for them,
not a wound dressed. To be sure, they got dinner ;
but no supper. They reached town last evening,
lay in the cars all night without blankets or food,
were chucked into ambulances, lay about here all
day, and to-night were put back into ambulances
and carted off again. I think every man who
comes a-soldiering is a fool!

Adventures of an Army Nurse 57

Sunday night [December, 1862].

This has been as blue a week as ever I passed.
Tuesday night (I mean Tuesday week) two
women arrived, one to see her sick son and the
other her husband; one came from western Wis
consin and the other from northern New York.
Dr. S. had just made a new law forbidding visitors
to stay in the house; but they were so very poor,
and had come so far and felt so bad, I could not
bear to see them. So I, bold as a sheep, really
decided to face the doctor and to beg him to let
them stay. At first he said decidedly, " No ; "
but you know how I hang on and grow braver;
so finally — to get rid of me, I guess — he said,
" Yes, if you will take them into your own room."
Oh, dear! now I had just got so nicely settled
and so snug ; but of course I could not refuse, and
would not, under the circumstances. One of them
is very sweet, but the other is a real prairie woman,
all but the sunbonnet. Thursday night came a
new woman, from western Massachusetts. Dr. S.
sent for me and asked if I had any objection
to receiving this Mrs. M. as sharer of my room,
since there was no unoccupied room fit for her at
present. He seemed to forget that I had two ladies
already hidden there. Of course I had to take her,
although I did hate it so bad. So that night we
had four, and only bedding for two, and the room

58 Adventures of an Army Nurse

not large. Next morning the Wisconsin man died,
and his wife left that night; but before she left
down came Miss Dix with two nurses, one to
superintend the low diet and one as nurse; as
Doctor was not in, and she must return to Wash
ington, she begged me to take charge of them till
his return. Now here were six of us, and my
gentleman not returned when night came! I
managed to find two empty beds in the ward to
put them in, but all day Sunday imagine my utter
despair! All of them sitting here the whole day,
and Monday and Tuesday; who could write? I
only felt like bawling. I could not keep the room
decent, and they all looked so forlorn and, mind
you, they had to furnish their own food and cook
it themselves, so my stewer was always going.
I could not wash or dress, or in fact do anything;
and the ward is kept so cold I could not sit any
where with comfort. I had so many errands to
do for them I was quite worn out.

At last, Wednesday, Dr. S. came; one nurse
he rejected, the other he retained ; and to Mrs. M.
he assigned a ward ; but we were still four, —
all widows, all old, and all but me exceedingly
pious, and ministers' widows at that. Sometimes
we would have jolly laughs, though, for all the
trouble; and Mrs. B., the one who will take charge
of the cooking, is lovely, just such a woman as I

Adventures of an Army Nurse 59

like. Yesterday, Mrs. B. got her room, and out
of pity to me she let Mrs. M. sleep in it. So I
expected to have at least a bed again; when, just
at dark, came in another nurse with a note from
Miss Dix to please give her Sunday quarters. So
I took the blanket again and don't mean to expect
any more peace; they have every one been sitting
here all day, and I had to wait for them to go to
bed to get a chance at you.

We have been sending off this week every one
who could be moved ; and you may believe it 's
been a pretty blue time with me, I have had so
many of them so long under my care. All have
been sent to New York on the Daniel Webster;
thanks to that last splendid box, I have been able
to make many of them comfortable. Not one
left without some warm garments. I expect they
will suffer much as it is, but I 'm glad they are
getting near home. Poor fellows! some of them
are so lean and miserable.

CHAPTER IV

ARRIVING at the Mansion House Hos
pital in August of 1862, Mrs. von Oln-
hausen seems to have conquered the
prejudices of the surgical staff by the beginning
of 1863. Therefore that year was to prove a
happier one. The long strain of work, however,
together with the evil climate of Washington,
brought upon her, in June, 1863, a serious attack
of dysentery. This so reduced her that she was
obliged to ask for a furlough and to return, with
some of her relatives who had come for her, to
Lexington.

Her letters during this first half of 1863 need
little comment. They chronicle, in her amusing
way, the conciliation of her first head-surgeon and
the coming of a successor; her temporarily suc
cessful but eventually disastrous warfare with a
most " unjust steward ; " and the varying duties
and pleasures of her busy life.

ALEXANDRIA, Sunday evening [January, 1863].
I suppose you just think I never am going to
write again; but I can't help it, I live in such a

Adventures of an Army Nurse 6 1

state of confusion all the time. There is always
somebody new quartered upon me. I have had
a " game " leg and so many bad sick ones, and
now I have lost one poor boy. His death was
such a mystery to me, for when 1 he did not die
of lockjaw, which I expected from the appearance
of the wound, I could not believe how he could
die so soon. He died Saturday ; and the Tuesday
after, at noon, came his poor father and mother.
It was dreadful to have to tell them he was
dead and buried. I never witnessed more intense
grief; for he was their only boy, and they were
so proud of him. But he was the wickedest boy
I have ever seen die; almost his last breath was
an oath ; and I could not make him say one word
for his father or mother. I tried so hard to make
him talk of them. How his poor mother did long
to have one word from him; I had to invent a
bit just to make her a little comfort. They were
such nice, respectable people; and stayed until
Friday, — in my room all the time. You may
think how they were in my way, though I could
not say " No " to them.

You will be glad to know the change in Dr. S.'s

1 The use of " when " for " if," which is found so often in her
letters, was caught evidently from Mr. von Olnhausen, who could
not rid himself of the German wenn. Other German words and
idioms crop out frequently in her letters, especially in those written
during her residence in Saxony.

6 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

treatment of me. I guess he finds it is creditable
to him to have some ladies around. He is most
polite when he meets me; and the night we were
expecting the wounded he came to my door and
asked me to go through my ward with him. It
was nine o'clock, but the rooms did look nice,
the beds all so clean, and clothes for each man
laid out, such bright fires and warm and cold
water, sponges and everything else ready. He
was so pleased, and said he had found no other
ward in such order. Then he turned and asked
me if he might come to my room for a few mo
ments, he had something to say to me. When
there he told me he had reason to believe that
I thought he did not like me, and he himself knew
he had been sometimes rude to me, for which he
apologized. " But, madam, you are mistaken ; I
am more than satisfied; I would have you leave
on no account ; you have done and are doing more
to elevate the tone of this hospital than any one
in it, and anything you ask for your ward or for
yourself I will grant; only always come to me;
don't send through a third person." Now this
was real nice, was n't it ? Everybody likes to be
appreciated. He said, too, he had been watching
me for a long time and knew all I 'd done, —
" and more than that, every doctor and every man
in the house likes you." I wish you could hear

Adventures of an Army Nurse 6 3

his voice; it is about three times louder than a
bull's. He said he knew people called him a Rebel ;
but he denied the charge stoutly and spoke right
feelingly of his honor to the flag. He finally de
clared, " With you and Mrs. B., madam, this
house shall be the first hospital in the country ; "
and you have no idea what a change there is here
since she came. She is matron, has the sole charge
of the low diet — which is the most important in
the house — so we are entirely relieved of that
horrid cooking; and she does make such nice
things, all sorts of delicious delicacies, that one
can see the men improve.

She is a most interesting woman and has had
such a sad life. Her only boy was killed in the
army. She was at Antietam when her son-in-law
came to tell her that her boy was dead. From
that moment she was stark mad; they took her
home to Chambersburg, forty miles ; she was so
bad that the next day they took her, by all the
doctors' advice, to the asylum at Harrisburg, her
daughter and son-in-law going with her. While
they were making arrangements for her entrance,
she was temporarily placed in the room where all
the worst insane were, and there she came to her
senses, — just think of it, her full and entire senses!
She turned to the doctor and said, " Doctor, they
have brought me to a mad-house; what is this

64 Adventures of an Army Nurse

for? " He tried to soothe her; she demanded to
see her daughter ; but they supposed it was another
phase, so the daughter went off without seeing
her at all, fearing to injure her. She was taken
to her room, and there were two women always
with her night and day, everybody supposing her
insane and paying no heed to her. She demanded
to go home; of course they would not let her,
and there she was kept ten days with her ter
rible grief for her dear boy and in this awful
life. Then she told her daughter, in a letter, that
when she did not come immediately and take her
home she would disinherit her and never see her
again while she lived. Of course, the poor girl
came and took her right away, though the doctor
opposed her ; but she saw at once that her mother
was entirely sane. Mrs. B. stayed in Chambers-
burg two days and then came right to Miss Dix,
who treated her so tenderly and beautifully, keep
ing her busy now in one hospital, now in another,
till she was over the worst of her grief and her
health was established. Then she brought her here
for good. *

We had quite an entertainment New Year's
night (quite stupid, I mean). Of course all the
doctors made lengthy speeches, and then there was
tremendous howling of patriotic songs. There
were lots of outside ladies, all dressed up fine, in

Adventures of an Army Nurse 65

front; and, for the patients, a cake big as a cart
wheel and heavy as lead, which was capital. G.
will remember how fond I am of cake with a
" stripe," though I don't think it is the best diet
for sick people.

ALEXANDRIA [January or February, 1863].

I 'm sure you will be surprised at my long
letter to the Society [Lexington Soldiers' Aid
Society] , and, after all, so little that is satisfactory
said in it; but you know just how hard it is for
me to write duty letters. Do look over the spelling,
especially Pyemia. I don't know if it should have
a y or an i in it. I only spelled it as it sounds.
You see one word was wrong in the very first;
there may be a dozen. When you think I have
said too much you might condense it; I could,
now it is done, only I have no time to copy.

Do give me some clue to the P. family. I have
a vision of old P. ; what is he? I can't place him,
but somehow it seems like he was connected with
L. in some funny way. Did she ever have him
for a pet chore man (I wrote it " chaw " first) ?
Anyway the poor boy looks bad enough. I don't
exactly fancy the hospital he is in; but his bed
looked clean and I guess he is well taken care of.
I promised to go and see him every day, so I shall.
How I wish he could have been with me ! I would

66 Adventures of an Army Nurse

have felt so proud to have a Lexington soldier in
my care.

Do you know, I grow just as mean as a pig with
my things ! I won't give a single well man a thing,
only those who are going off to camp. It 's come
to be a regular thing for all the clerks and detailed
men about the house to ask for this or that; but
I always tell them, " No, they are sent for the sick
soldiers and not for well men shirking duty and
lying around hospitals! " I used not to be so sav
age, but I have got perfectly disgusted with these
men. They are just too lazy to do duty, and so get
big pay and "laze" around. There are so many
invalids who could do all they do, and they might
be fighting. When you could once see the abuse!
Look into the kitchen, for instance, and see the
great, strong men who are cooking ; then you 'd
be mad, too !

Isn't it too bad the apples have not come? I
feel so disappointed, but Dr. S. is sharp after them.
He, by the way, is good as pie to me. Speaking
of pies, you did not send me one ; but them dough
nuts and that there square gingerbread was too
dolicious. I feel pretty mean about giving the
last, and the first we ate in our own room. My
brains are baked in my head, but I 've got wound
up and it 's one dem'd grind now. The fire is so
hot, and if I move my chair one inch the leg will

Adventures of an Army Nurse 67

come out. It Js a " compound comminuted frac
ture " and takes too much time to set it often.

ALEXANDRIA, February, 1863.

I must tell you about a little excursion we made
on the I4th. Dr. S. gave us leave (Mrs. B. and
me) to go down to Mt. Vernon with some of our
men. He said we could take but twelve, — as the
tug could get only within a mile of the shore, —
and that we must row in a small boat. First we
must take those who had been longest wounded
and after that all the amputations. He gave us
a little tug to go in, the best and fastest on the
river, and I wish you could have seen us set off,
seven pairs of crutches. It would have done your
heart good to see how happy the poor fellows were ;
think ! for six months some of them had been shut
up and had hardly stepped on the ground. They
were just as gay with us old nurses as if we had
all been young. I told them, coming home, that
the only omission, for St. Valentine's, had been
that nobody had asked us to marry him; so they
all began at once. The one-legs had the best of it,
for they are sure of eight dollars a month.

I thought I might be able to tell you a little of
Mt. Vernon and my impressions, but that would
be impossible. I 'm convinced that one ought to
be alone there, or at least with one's best friend,

68 Adventures of an Army Nurse

everything seems so sacred. You feel that you
stand in the presence of the spirit, at least, of
Washington ; and I could almost believe I saw him.
It seemed wicked to speak aloud. The rooms are
unfurnished and most desolate, and the old harpsi
chord sounds unearthly. The mantel-piece and
hearth in the dining room are splendid. The carv
ing is in strong bas-relief to represent agriculture
in all its forms. Would you believe that some
vandals have broken horns from cows, arms from
milkmaids, and legs from dogs and boys to take
away as relics ? Is n't it shameful ? The view
from the front of the house is splendid; such a
beautiful river, with the fort and hills opposite.

ALEXANDRIA [March, 1863].

We have been having a general turn-up and
turn-out, and so have much to talk about; every
day brings some new thing to light. Dr. S. is
promoted and leaves here for some other field. He
made his farewell to-night and was much affected
at parting. He has been to me as kind as a brother,
and has regretted so many times that he did not
know me at first.

Our new doctor in charge is Dr. Page. I don't
know where he comes from. I saw him this morn
ing for the first time; he is nice looking and
gentlemanly, and I 'm particularly pleased, for he

Adventures of an Army Nurse 69

found much fault in every ward but mine, and in
mine he praised everything. The fact is I have
the best attendants in the house, and they will do
anything for me; so it is not much praise to me,
after all; and then, at present, I have the only
sick in the house ( I mean badly wounded — and
you 'd better believe they are well bandaged up
inspection days; they have to like it). I am quite
impatient to know where I shall be located. There
was talk of New Mexico and New Orleans; but
nobody knows yet.

The river is black with ducks ; but they are too
dear to buy, and I have no time to go shooting.
Sometimes in the early morning I can hear all
the birds sing ; but, after that, these army wagons
constantly moving deaden any sound, and not a
breath of the country reaches us. Now the lizards
and beetles are waking up and I long to be out
in it. If the weather would only be warm and
pleasant we might go out, now that we have lei
sure, only the mud is so frightful.

We have just heard that by the last of the week
every bed in the house will be full; the sick and
wounded are all to be sent from the front. I am
sorry the sick are coming; I never want another
sick man in my ward; I like all wounded. Don't
you feel hopeful now about the war? These
reforms are splendid and so needed. I believe

70 Adventures of an Army Nurse

now all will go well. How poor the Rebs
must be!

I thought it best not to trouble you with an
account of how we have been living lately, —
everything cut off, nothing but coffee (so poor and
with hardly ever milk) and dry bread for break
fast; for dinner bread and meat (and such meat!
always the tail or neck or some other nasty part),
and at night coffee and bread again. Being hun
gry is nothing to being so insulted. We knew we
had a right to all our rations; and while Dr. S.
was here we always urged Mrs. B. to ask him, and
so put us out of the power of these cooks. They
hate us because we are decent women and will fight
for the soldiers' rights, thus cutting off their re
sources. For some reason she never would; she
thought he would believe us selfish or something.

One day it was past all bearing. I was posi
tively so hungry I could have eaten cat's meat.
I sat over the fire after supper, tired and hungry
and wondering if the good I did was balanced
by my suffering (more from insults than any
thing else), when all at once it struck me to go
to Dr. Page myself. It was eight o'clock; I found
him alone, and he listened to all my story. He
seemed so surprised at it, said we had not even one
privilege we were entitled to, called the Steward
— who is just the meanest, hatefullest (oh, help

Adventures of an Army Nurse 71

me to a word, I don't care if it is profane) man
that ever lived — and told him that in future we
were to draw our own rations and have our own
cook. I felt so elated, and when I announced it
next morning the women actually embraced me.

Well, we waited for five days; no rations,
though we kept demanding them. Then we were
cut down short enough; deprived even of sugar.
Thereupon I sent word to H. (the Steward) that
when the rations did not come at once I would
appeal to Dr. Page again. So the rations for ten
days (that's the time for drawing) came; but
there was such a little allowance that we had to
buy half we ate. I got some soldiers who had
been in the Quartermaster's department to look
at them ; and they said we had not a third of what
we ought. So up to Dr. Page I went again and
told him of the matter. He called H., who swore
we had full weight of everything. I said, " Doc
tor, just make us independent of this man; let
us draw direct from the Quartermaster." " Cer
tainly, when you like it;" and he signed our requi
sition for eight women.

Mrs. B. and I went down, taking a boy along,
to bring the rations up. Judge of our conster
nation when it took a cart to carry them ! Eighty
pounds of meat, eighty pounds of flour, and
so much beans, rice, molasses, vinegar, pork,

72 Adventures of an Army Nurse

tea, coffee and sugar, — enough for every lux
ury. We acted like fools. I was really ashamed
to find myself so rejoiced, — even candles. We
called all the women down to see, and the cooks
were all so mad, knowing we were out of their
clutches, they could have bitten us. We went
out and traded off sixty-two pounds of meat and
got $5.25 for it in cash; this buys our butter
and milk. Then our flour we exchange with
a baker, pound for pound, so we can have cake
and pies sometimes; and we shall keep our beans
and rice till we get a bushel of them, and then
change them off. Is n't it nice ? And yesterday
all gave a little, and the rest we took from the
five dollars, making enough to get us cups and
saucers, white plates and dishes. You can't think
how nice our table looked; the luxury of a cup
after drinking eight months out of a tin or earthen
mug was too much. I would not have anybody I
love connected with the Quartermaster and Hos
pital department for the world; they cannot have
power, it seems to me, and be honest ; it is proven
every day. A good boy comes in and, if he has
some talent, is given something to do in that
department. From that moment he begins to fall,
puts on such airs, and pockets all he can.

When our own battles were settled, then it was
time, when good feeding had given us a little

Adventures of an Army Nurse 73

strength, to put in for our patients ; so last Sun
day morning I opened fire. Dr. C. has that de
partment, so I attacked him ; but he was mad when
I told him the patients would starve only for the
nurses, who had to buy everything the sickest men
ate. He denied it, and said he knew his nurse did
not do it. So she was called, and said she did;
then the others were called; and, at last, we had
about every nurse and doctor in the house growl
ing and snarling. Dr. C. said they had every
thing according to the new diet-table; some of
the doctors denied it and some of them backed
him up; at last we all adjourned to some under
ground room (the bread-room) to read the table
list, when it proved that they got nothing in the
quantity even that was ordered there; and as to
quality, Lord help them! How I wish you could
have heard the row ! It went on all day ; even in
the evening everybody was called up and talked
to ; and the result is that it has been a little better
this week, though far from the mark, and soon
(if it grows less every day) it will be back to
the old standard, for that wretch H. or somebody
will miss the money and get it back if possible.
So you see our path is not all rose-leaves, and
you can see, too, one of the many impositions
put upon the noble fellows who are throwing
away their lives for such men as these. Are all

74 Adventures of an Army Nurse

men naturally bad? That's going to be the only
religious question I shall study in the future. I
guess this war will make me religious, for one.
I am getting a good deal more patient and for
giving than I used to be, but I '11 never forgive
the soldiers' enemies. I can sooner forgive the
Rebels who kill them.

You wonder the boys don't answer the notes
[written by Lexington ladies and sent with the
clothing] ; you don't know how modest they feel.
Then, too, I suppose many of them are not much
used to writing. Moreover, they had some rebuffs

from that Miss ; she wrote to them and they

answered; and then she thought she would be
motherly, advise them about their spelling, etc.,
and that mortified them. Of course the letters
were shown all around, so it 's given them all a
holy horror of writing to strange women.

Blue Eyes, my pet boy, leaves me to-morrow;
he is too lovely, so confiding and sweet; he is
to be discharged. I suppose he cannot walk for
a long time, though his wound is quite healed.
I shall be bluer than ever when he goes. T., too,
goes home to-morrow. I never have told you
about him; he is too mean to live. He is dread
fully mad they gave him his discharge; says he
meant to stay round the hospital this summer, as
it's the easiest way to get $13 a month. He's
the first mean Massachusetts man I 've met.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 75

ALEXANDRIA, Friday [March or April, 1863].

I hardly know whether I have a head on my
shoulders; since last summer I never saw such
times here, — sick coming and going all the time.
I Ve forgotten where I left off and can't think
what to tell first. I believe I told you about the
amputations we had; those boys were so sick for
so long; but that was a hard time! Dr. B. away,
and so much resting on me, and such wounds to
dress. The arm boy wiggled through and is still
alive. He is just as disagreeable as ever; but it
is only since four days that we have thought he
could live. But that other splendid man dies. I
never felt sorrier; he was such a noble fellow
and so good and patient. He wanted me by him
all the time, and would not let any one touch him
but me; he died the Sunday after I wrote last.

The very night he died they " piked " the
wounded in upon us from that cavalry fight.
They were all badly shot, and the amputations had
all been performed on the field. I had an Eighth
Illinois boy with the leg off nearly to the body;
he was almost pulseless when he came, and was
so much exhausted with the long ride that it was
twenty-four hours before we could get him warm
at all, and he has been lying in a hopeless state
ever since. He dictated such a beautiful letter
to his sister, though it was almost impossible to

76 Adventures of an Army Nurse

keep him awake for more than a minute at a time.
He died yesterday morning, and I felt as if half
the ward was gone. I had to write his sister; it
is so hard to write such letters. He was a better
kind of a boy than I was used to seeing in Illinois.

You would have to be here to realize how busy
I have been. We have no low-diet cook now
since Mrs. B. gave it up, and it 's so hard going
up and down four long flights of stairs for every
thing; for we can't even warm a drop of water
up here. Often I make the journey ten or fifteen
times a day. If it were not for this, I would like
my ward better than any other in the house; but
it takes the wind.

You can form no idea of our disturbed nights,
— constant alarms and the backward movement
of the army. The continual rattling of heavy
wagons and the guard patrolling and challenging,
one cannot sleep much. I have not felt fully awake
in a fortnight ; and when the noise outside is a little
less, comes the watchman with, " Somebody has a
chill, or a pain, or wants to see me," so all nights
are disturbed ones. You know what a dumb sort
of feeling one has after a succession of such nights ;
so you can expect only stupidity from me. Sun
day evening was the crowner of all; I never can
forget it. We were all day expecting the wounded,
all who have been lying down front; those poor,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 77

neglected soldiers, some seventeen hundred in all,
were brought to this place. Such a dreary sight ;
the streets perfectly jammed with the poor blessed
cripples, ambulances, stretchers, beds, crutches,
everything. It was just horrible. It was twelve
o'clock when the last boat-load arrived ; the attend
ants were all tired out with lugging them, and yet
there were still hundreds not cared for. Two
boat-loads had to be reloaded and sent to Wash
ington. Think of those poor sufferers! I had
not a single attendant to do a thing. W. and
"Jack the Giant Killer" had them all to wash;
and I helped do that and dressed all the wounds
besides. I had fractures to put up and anterior
splints to make, all without one word of advice.
Dr. F. has been my doctor since Dr. B. went ; but
he has another big ward and was also officer of the
day, so could not leave for a moment. He sent
for me and said he should leave everything for
me to manage as I thought proper. Dr. Page came
up about twelve and was so pleased with what I
had done. It was nearly morning when we got
to bed.

Monday and Tuesday went off splendidly. I
had all the work I wanted and such " bully "
wounds to dress ; but Tuesday night came another
despatch from headquarters that every man who
could be moved must leave next morning for

78 Adventures of an Army Nurse

r

Philadelphia ; so before I had got interested or

could distinguish one man from another I lost
them all. They were such a nice set of men,
all from the Twelfth and Sixth army corps, and
such brave boys ; was n't it too bad when we had
got them all cleaned up and straightened out to
have them go again? They left me only six of
the new cases. I have eleven in all. It was harder
to have them go than come, I think; they did
not want to leave, either. This has been the most
confusing time I have known since last summer.
Mrs. B. is quite worn out; she had so many bad
thigh fractures which could not be brought
upstairs.

Sunday night [March or April, 1863].

I shall give up, I cannot write; I have tried
fifty times since this was commenced. You can't
know all I have done these last two days; more
patients have come and gone, and now I have
only ten left in my ward; but I have been into
two other wards helping, or rather putting up
anterior splints; for you will feel quite proud
to know that I can put them up — so the surgeons
say — better than any one in the house. At any
rate, Dr. P. of Boston is lying here with his leg
very badly fractured; he is not in my ward, but
Dr. F. sent compliments for me to come and dress
it. He and two other surgeons stood by while

Adventures of an Army Nurse 79

I worked; they never gave one word of advice,
just stood and looked on; and when I had finished
they all said they never saw one so well put up.
I felt so glad, for you must see it was no small
compliment. The patient himself is a fine sur
geon, and he was most delighted of all. I know
this sounds very egotistical, but at present my
passion is wound dressing, and I will excel.

Major Higginson, of the First Massachusetts
Cavalry, is in the house. He is such a pleasant
man, cousin to the minister; he so wants to come
into my ward. His father is here to take him home
when he is well enough. Besides three sabre cuts,
he has a bullet in him. He asked me to come down
every day and see him, for he has such a hateful
nurse. He used to be Lieutenant in the Second
Massachusetts, Company E. Is n't it provoking
I never can get Massachusetts boys in my ward?

I 'm in for the war until discharged ; I can't for
a moment regret it; I could never be contented
now at home remembering what I can do here
and how many need me. I know that all are not
fitted for this life, but I feel as if it were my
special calling and I shall not leave it, if God gives
me strength, while I know there is a Union soldier
to nurse. You can have no idea how one's patriot
ism grows while one sees those poor fellows lying
so piteonsly. I can't see how such a thing as a

8o Adventures of an Army Nurse

Copperhead can live. Do kill every one in Lex
ington. How I do wish every one of them was in
the Rebel lines to be shot down!

The town is full of rumors to-day. They say
we are having the best of it; but what can one
believe? We heard cannonading last night, but
far off. I suppose the Second [Massachusetts] is
fighting again ; it always fights, you know. I don't
have any time to enjoy my new clothes; I can't
even glance in the glass to see how I look in them.
I had my old bonnet " newed " up, and it looks
delicious.

ALEXANDRIA [April or May, 1863], Wednesday.
We went to Washington yesterday, sightseeing,
— Mrs. B. and daughter, Mrs. M. and I. We did
the Smithsonian thoroughly, and then went to
the Capitol; whereupon it commenced raining
like piker. We had a fine chance to see every
thing, for we could not get away, took a lunch
there (about the poorest ever was eaten), but had
finally to come back again. We have to go again
one day this week to finish up the business. I wish
you could see some of the green specimens we
met yesterday; it was better than all else. Such
shocking, " muggins " women ; they had to sit in
every chair and stand in every place, and they
talked about the piles of babies (cupids and
angels) painted on the walls; "didn't see what

Adventures of an Army Nurse 8 1

they painted them there for." They went into
all the private rooms and asked so many questions ;
they " had n't no umbrel and no gums, and did n't
see what they was going to do." I concluded the
unterrified democracy had got around, sure. I
suppose I seemed just as verdant, but I did n't
feel so.

ALEXANDRIA, Wednesday [May, 1863].

W. has just come back to me wounded in the
head. We hope not badly; but he is in a very
exhausted state, as when he went into the field
he was not fit for it, and they had never stopped
marching from Monday morning at three o'clock
till Sunday, when he was wounded; just march
ing and fighting all the time. Poor fellow, he was
so overcome when he got here; he is sleeping
now, and when he wakes the doctor will examine
him, and I shall know better how he is. The
glorious Second [Massachusetts] has won new
laurels. He says he would rather have been the
meanest private in that than a general anywhere
else. This is a bad storm for our poor fellows, but
let us hope for the best. I feel sure we shall win.
How I hate my Reb wounded ; they are so exult
ant, too, this morning ; I 'm sure they have heard
something. I don't think I can dress their wounds
any more. Aunt Mary S. asked them if they
were well treated. " Oh, splendid, madam." " I

6

82 Adventures of an Army Nurse

am glad to hear it," she said, " I like even my
enemies to be well treated." " Oh, madam, you
are not Secesh then ? " " No, sir, not a drop of
traitor blood runs in my veins." She looked bully
when she said it.

There is a lot of fun made about turning the
boxes over to the hospital. To-day one of the
nurses was telling her doctor of my box and the
fine dresses it contained ; she is rather " soft,"
and said I had such a lovely lawn and a balmoral
skirt she wanted. So he wrote an order, and sent
it in, for "One purple lawn dress and one balmoral
skirt to be delivered to the nurse on the third
floor." It took some time for Mrs. B. to get the
matter through her wool.

I 'm reading Les Miserables to W. to try to
make him contented. I read it as I would like
to have it read to me, on the jump and skip plan.

A lot of women came in to-day just as I was
dressing " Blue Beard's " wound. One of them,
as she saw it, just gave a stagger and fell up
against the wall. She was pale as could be, and
I thought would faint. All the women crowded
around, and one young one said, " Oh, I always
thought I should so like to be a nurse." She
looked about as much account as a yellow cat.

His wound, by the way, is n't doing very well ;
but he 's such a nice fellow, the beau ideal of a

Adventures of an Army Nurse 8 3

soldier in bearing, and looks so prompt and trig,
and is real good and patriotic. He wants to go
back to the field, but I 'm afraid the poor fellow
never will. He won't be idle, so he has taken the
diet and dispensary books and the light work of
the ward. My big Jack is getting better and will
soon be off again; he, too, is a real nice fellow.
I want to make him wound-dresser, if we ever
have any wounded, but he would rather be in the
field. Oh, the shirks there are in this army; so
many cowards to one brave man!

ALEXANDRIA, VA., Sunday, May 17, 1863.

We have been expecting some wounded all day
from Fairfax Station; there was a fight with
the Guerillas and Vermont cavalry and some New
York regiment; but they have not come yet;
probably, as usual, they will come in the night.

You ask about our rations. The drawing of
them is a fixed fact ; every ten days Mrs. B. and I
go down with our requisitions, and, now we begin
to understand it, you can't know how nicely we live.
It takes some dickering, but she is good at that,
and we have such a surplus. Of our meat alone
(fresh beef) we can always sell seventy-five
pounds, and sometimes ninety. A butcher buys
it at government price (8^ c.), and pays us cash;
this buys butter, eggs, other kinds of meat or

84 Adventures of an Army Nurse

" garding sarce;" the milkman takes pork or
molasses for his pay; and the baker gives us
bread, pound for pound, for our flour. We have
pie or cakes now and then, and no more growling ;
every one is pleased at the table. We bought some
cups and saucers and spoons (we used to have
mugs or tin cups and one huge iron spoon put into
the sugar), and our table now looks quite like
white folks.

I can't help liking Dr. Page, nor do I see who
can; he never talks to any one, but he makes all
the reforms we ask for. The patients for the first
time get enough to eat, and good food too; and
we have only to complain (I mean a just com
plaint) and he rights it.

I have not told you how near I came to going
to the front. Miss Dix promised to take me; for
a couple of days I got entirely ready and then
went in to dress my wounds ; I have such a stupid
set, I had no one to trust. I set two men to watch
for the mail boat; we can see it all the way from
Washington. They sat at the windows, and I
worked away on those devilish Rebs, when, hap
pening to look out, there I saw the boat at our
wharf just starting again. I could have killed
the men; but after all it was just as well, for W.
was very sick that day and the next, and I had to
be with him every moment. I don't know what

Adventures of an Army Nurse 85

Miss Dix will say, but I sha'n't tell her it was
stupidity. As W. was so sick, I can say it was he
who kept me.

Monday morning [May 18, 1863].

I was interrupted yesterday, and last evening
I had to go to church; so I must hurry up this
morning and get this in the post. We have been
having such fusses and cross-fits all over the house
this morning, about these Rebs, that I feel not at
all disposed to write. Some of the nurses are so
clever to them, always running and cooking for
them, that I 've got out of all patience. I say
what is good enough for our men is too good for
them. Mrs. M. sometimes gets one of hers three
breakfasts before he is suited. I wish I had him
in my ward ; there 'd be one hungry man in the
house unless he ate what I gave him first. How
susceptible some women are to flattery; they (the
Rebs) really do have twice the privileges that our
Union boys have.

I hope before I write you again we shall have
our house filled up once more; I am so tired of
this idleness. Those wounded expected yesterday
did not come, and we almost despair. I wish the
army would move again; but I still believe in
Hooker, and expect much from him as soon as
the two years' men have done going off. I hope
you will never notice the nine months5 men; they

86 Adventures of an Army Nurse

are not worth " shucks." Don't go to the show,
will you, when they come home? They just
lie round hospitals; this has been full of them,
lazier than hounds. All they want is the bounty
and to get home. All the Rebs they see are the
prisoners.

ALEXANDRIA [May, 1863].

On Monday morning news came that a boat
load of wounded men were on the way for us.
They arrived about five o'clock, — such a sick,
neglected set as one could ever see; they were
some of those who had been in the Rebs' hands
and had had nothing done for them till they got
over the lines, — and then very little, for the ac
commodations are miserable in those tents. I have
no patience at all at so many being kept there;
it 's such a shame that so little is done for our
wounded to get them to comfortable quarters. In
every instance it's been so; a week at least must
elapse before anything is done for them. Who
does or can control this, I wonder? I got nine
for my share, for they had to be distributed all
over town. As they are the first wounded that
have come for a long time to Alexandria, all are
greedy as cormorants to get some.

I expect you will want a full history of mine,
so I '11 begin at the beginning ; and the beginning
is that a more wooden, stupid set of dough-heads

Adventures of an Army Nurse 87

never lived than my attendants, the whole "biling"
being green, nine-months' Vermonters. I shall now
fully understand "Green Mountain Boys." I never
completely realized my loss in all my dear, good
boys till that day. I thought I never should get
the patients washed and into bed. At last, in
despair, I had to press poor W. into the service,
though I knew it would bring on fearful excitement
and that it would be hours before he could sleep;
but he insisted, seeing my despair, on bossing the
job, and at last they were comfortably in bed.
Until you could once be in a hospital and see the
state of the men as they come in, especially of
those who have the blood of three weeks upon
them and the dirt of as many months, you can
form no idea of the undertaking. But the sat
isfaction on their faces when all is done and
they are finally at rest is very great. Especially
when a woman is near to nurse them, they seem
so grateful.

These men are all of the Eleventh Corps, and
every one was shot in the first moments of the
attack. They are all Germans but one, and he is
Irish. I don't believe he ran ; he is a spunky little
fellow and bears pain " bully." He always smiles
when I dress his wound, and only grits his teeth
a little when I stuff the lint in. Next to him lies
the hero of the ward, a little German boy of seven-

88 Adventures of an Army Nurse

teen. A piece of shell struck him just by the
lower part of the right ear, glancing upward a
little, ploughing through the cheek to the bone,
and cutting off the end of the nose. It is almost
impossible to give chloroform to patients when
the mouth is being operated upon, and he said he
did not care for it ; so they performed without any.
He never even frowned; the only indication of
pain was the shaking of his foot. The room was
filled with doctors and lookers-on, and they did
nothing but marvel. He can't speak one word
of English, is so interesting, and must have been
very handsome. The other two in that room are
not so badly wounded; only they have been so
long neglected that they need much care.

In the next room lies a handsome German with
a fractured arm. The next is wounded through
the lungs, the ball coming out at the back under
the left shoulder. One has a sabre-cut over the
head ; but it 's a flesh wound, and he will soon be
right. Next is a boy of seventeen who was shot
through the left elbow. But the great case of the
house is my " mouth " man, a really noble fellow.
He, too, is German, as all the rest. The ball en
tered just at the point of the collar bone nearest
the throat, and lodged in the right shoulder- joint
fast and firm, just in the ball of the joint. It was
an hour and forty minutes from the time they be-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 89

gan to operate upon him till all was done; it 's per
fectly wonderful how one can live after such an
operation, but he is doing splendidly. Worst of
all is that my doctor went off Thursday and left
me with all these important wounds to take care
of, and not a person except these stupid men
even to help dress. I have felt so anxious and
responsible.

Here I have been writing all this and not telling
you one word of the excitement around us. For
the last week all sorts of rumors have been afloat
of the invasion of Alexandria; preparations have
been making all around, rifle pits dug everywhere,
arming negroes, mounting batteries and such
things, even the bridge made ready to be destroyed
at a moment's notice, and no one permitted to go
out of town; but still no one exactly believing,
half ridiculing; — till to-day matters begin to be
serious. Rifle pits are dug across all streets lead
ing to the commissary departments, for here lie
all the stores for the whole army of the Potomac.
Just at the corner of our hospital and just under
my window one is dug, and a battery of four guns
planted; so we shall have some shooting (I mean
if they come), and since I began to write up comes
the orderly, counts out every man in the hospital
able to shoulder a gun, and arms them all, so that
at a moment's warning they may be ready.

90 Adventures of an Army Nurse

I don't feel the least frightened for myself, but
it 's horrid to think of these poor wounded fellows
and what they would suffer. The town is full of
Secesh just waiting for a raid in order to come
out openly; and they could fire every hospital at
once. I only hope the newspaper reports won't
alarm you at home.

General Clough, the military governor of this
place, was in here to-night, and says the enemy
are within ten miles of us, but how strong he
does n't know ; of course they are in some force
or they would not venture near so many forts
as guard this town. Guards are patrolling the
streets, and "Halt!" is the continuous cry. I
sent a man out for ice to-night, and they snapped
him up. I assure you it 's very exciting; of course
much is said that is not true, but there must be
some cause for all this fuss. I 'm so glad my
Secesh men are all disposed of. They Ve been
sent to Washington. There are only four in the
house now, and those have a guard placed over
them to-night. Last night the long roll beat from
twelve till two; it sounded good.

I am glad you liked W.'s face; I think it's so
good and manly. He begins to look like himself
again; his hair has grown out a little, and the
wound is entirely healed. Dr. Bellangee1 scolds

1 Assistant surgeon, in charge of Mrs. von Olnhausen's ward;
subsequently surgeon-in-chief at Morehead City.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 91

me because I closed it so nicely ; says it is not half
enough of a scar; but his others are bad enough
to do him credit. You would have laughed to see
him, he was so funny sometimes. One time he
saw some Secesh women passing along; he flew
out after them and pulled them by the sleeve:
"Here, you Secesh women, you hunting for Rebs?
Well, turn to your right and look in the first right-
hand door, and there you '11 see a bully old Reb " ;
then he made a profound bow, ran back, hopped
into bed, and looked as innocent as if he 'd done
nothing. They were scared enough, and mad too.
Another time he threw his old slippers at two and
said, " My new ones are too good for Rebs ; they
came from Lexington." They excited him so
that the doctor forbade their coming through this
hall.

I often wish you could see some of the letters
I receive from the men when they go away; I
sometimes think I '11 send them to you. Of course
many of them are poor " or'n'ry " specimens, but
they are so earnest, and some of them beautiful in
sentiment.

ALEXANDRIA [May, 1863].

We have not had any wounded brought from
the front yet; but they brought sixteen Rebs
from Warren ton (Mosby's men), all shockingly
wounded. I had four brought into my ward. I

92 Adventures of an Army Nurse

did hate to have them, and felt at first that I could
not take care of them ; but two were so bad I had
to pity them, even after I heard the worst things
about one of them. He was a boy only sixteen,
so lousy and dirty you could not see his skin, and
with long hair, as they all have, like a girl's. He
had been fighting but two months, and was an
only son. His home is just a little way from here,
and his voice was like a child's; and yet when, in
the early part of the fight, one of our men had
been surprised, had surrendered, and had handed
his revolver over to him, the boy shot him dead.
It seemed impossible for me to dress his wounds;
but his sufferings were so terrible that I forgot
for the time how wicked he was. He told me he
was sorry he had ever left his home. He wanted
so to.get well, and kept saying, " Good lady, can't
I get a discharge from this hospital? I want to
go home." Poor little fellow! his mother should
have kept him there. I saw in another hospital, a
few days ago, a little boy only fourteen who had
been through all that Peninsular Campaign. How
homesick he was, and how tired of soldiering!
He was a drummer boy. I believe they have sent
him home.

I wish you could see my little turtle; it is not
bigger than a cent and is real pretty. Every night
it crapples out, and I have such a hunt for him.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 93

Yesterday I found him in Mrs. M.'s bed. Then
I have a snail that I found at Mt. Vernon last
winter; he, too, goes wandering. Every time
we are to have a storm he is as big as a quarter-
dollar. I keep a pan with wild flowers and roots
in it for them to live in, and give them meat and
sugar to eat. I always hunt for beetles whenever
I go out, and have some live ones. May Day I
spent over the river alone; it is always a pretty
sad day to me.

One of my men, who has been to New Jersey
on a furlough, says that the Copperheads offered
him, if he would desert and stay at home, fifteen
dollars a month and house-rent free, and agreed
to protect him if our people attempted to arrest
him. He was mad, and made such a flaming
speech to the crowd that a Union man stepped up
and gave him twenty-five dollars for his family,
and said if they wanted anything they could come
to him. Bully for my man! I wish you could
see this river now; every few hours a boat-load
of prisoners goes past; to-day, it is said, three
thousand have gone up.

ALEXANDRIA [May, 1863].

It is dreadful living so near the field of battle
[Chancellorsville]. It's only about forty miles
from here; and yet you get the real news as
soon as we, — I mean, reliable news. From the

94 Adventures of an Army Nurse

heights about the town, we can hear the guns,
and boats are constantly passing up and down;
and yet there are a thousand false to one true
rumor. For two days it was said Hooker had
failed and that his loss was fearful; I mean they
said so, not the papers. I never passed two such
days as those were. Then came the good news;
and I almost felt that, even if our dear friends
are wounded, it was such high honor to be
wounded fighting under such a soldier and for
such a cause, they were to be envied. Does not
this war make one pious, though? I feel like
praying all the time. I did not know till now
how strong my faith in God and his power was;
now I am constantly turning to him. It is useless
trying to tell you how I miss my dear friends, —
every one gone now except Sergeant G., and he
leaves next week. I feel as if I must go, and yet
I 'm near the front here, and if mine need me I
can be with them.

You will think we are always having fusses here,
but — such a house ! Sunday, when Dr. Page
went into Mrs. B.'s store-room she asked him for
some things that the men in the dispensary had
refused to give up, but that had been sent to her
by the Sanitary Commission. Dr. Page told her
he thought the dispensary was the proper place
for them, and that, furthermore, he meant to con-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 95

fiscate everything sent to the nurses in the way
of delicacies or clothes. You may bet my back was
up ; so yesterday morning I went to him and asked
if he was in earnest ; he said, " Yes." I told him
that rather than give what things I had to those
miserable, drinking boys, I 'd throw them from
the windows. " Do they drink? " " Doctor, you
know they do, when you look in their faces. My
friends send those things for soldiers, not for
clerks and stewards who, I know, constantly invite
their friends and treat them to delicacies and
wines." "Are you sure?" "Yes, within a
week." So I explained what I knew; also that
they had used a large quantity of choice stores left
with them, subject to my particular order only,
by a Philadelphia lady who was not permitted to
bring them upstairs. I had never had but two
orders rilled, and then all was gone. I told him,
moreover, that I thought it was wrong to place so
much temptation before mere boys. " I agree
with you," he said ; " and now, when I will take
all the wines and liquors from the dispensary, will
you take charge of and deliver them ? " I told him
I thought there were others better qualified than
I (meaning Mrs. B.). " Ha! you come with con-
plaints and then shirk responsibility!" So I ac
cepted at once rather than be charged that way;
but I went right to the Chaplain and told him he

96 Adventures of an Army Nurse

must go and beg Dr. Page to put Mrs. B. in my
place; it was so wrong to take it from her. I
knew she would feel hurt, told him I was a dough-
head, and that he must say so. He talked the
doctor over, and now she is to have them.

ALEXANDRIA, Sunday [June, 1863].
You must have been surprised at my letter an
nouncing W.'s return so soon after his leaving.
I was so stunned at seeing him I don't know what
I wrote about him. Anyway I knew nothing of
his wound or what he had gone through to get
here until after that; so I have no fear of giving
a twice-told tale. You can form no idea how
utterly prostrated he was with fatigue and loss
of blood and the shock of the ball. From Monday
morning, at three, till about eight on Sunday
morning, when he was wounded, the regiment was
marching and fighting all the time. In fording
the Rapidan the water was up to their arm-pits;
they charged on a body of about one hundred and
fifty Rebs (I think he said), who were building
a most substantial bridge across the river, and
took them all prisoners. He said the boys were
just as full of fun as if they had waded in for
play; when they saw a Reb hiding or skulking
off, they would call, " Come here, Johnny Reb "
(they all call them that name), " we won't hurt

Adventures of an Army Nurse 97

you." It was about four o'clock, they were all
wet through, the night was cold, not a fire was
allowed, and they just bivouacked in the woods
without any cover. What these poor souls have
to suffer !

When W. first fell, all supposed he was killed;
he was insensible. When he came to, G. and M.
— another noble fellow — were kneeling beside
him, tears rolling down their cheeks. They had
only time to say good-bye and receive his messages
when they had to leave him. After they had ex
hausted their ammunition (he had fired forty
rounds before he fell), they were ordered to the
rear to replenish, and bore him along so tenderly,
saw him cared for at a hospital, and went to the
front again. He does n't know how long he stayed
there; but before night the hospital was shelled,
and he only remembers hobbling up. He must
have got to another hospital, as, early in the morn
ing, that was shelled, and again all were started
off somewhere else. He took the road to Falmouth
with the one idea to get back to Dr. Bellangee and
myself. He walked some time; then a negro came
along, took him into his wagon and drew him
some four miles; the driver's road was then an
other way, so he laid him down to wait again.
Soon a white man with a government wagon came
along, but refused to take him up. W. threatened

7

98 Adventures of an Army Nurse

him, when the man got down and lifted him in.
He says the horror of that ride can't be told ; the
man drove so frightfully over such an awful road.
At last he reached a hospital in Falmouth; as
he lay there quite exhausted, he heard some one
say, " The cars leave in half an hour for Aquia
Creek." He inquired the way to the station, and
only remembers getting on the platform when the
cars started. Then he only knows he passed the
night in a hospital there, and some one gave him
his bed. All this time he had eaten nothing (and
in fact since they had started on that Monday
morning he had never eaten the three days' rations
in his haversack). Again some one said near
him, " The boat leaves directly for Washington."
He asked if he could not go; they told him, not
without a permit from the Provost-Marshal, and
there was no time for that; so he remembers
stealing out in the rear, to avoid the guards, and
coming down to the wharf. Just as he crossed
the plank, it was taken in and the boat started.
This was about four. He remembers nothing
again until he was at the wharf, some time in
the night, at Washington, lying on the floor, so
cold, and begging some one to close the doors.

Next morning he went up to the Sanitary rooms
near there, had his wound dressed for the first
time, — he thinks with camphor, by some fussy

Adventures of an Army Nurse 99

old woman who " deared " him and, though so
miserable, made him laugh, she " poor-thinged "
him so. He then asked to be sent to Alexandria;
again they told him he must first go to the Provost-
Marshal, and that his office was two miles off. He
knew he could not get there, so he inquired the
way to the Alexandria wharf. All this time seems
just like a dream to him ; he said he was conscious
of no pain or of any other thought, except " When
I get there it will be all right." He walked half
a mile to the wharf; they refused to take him,
but said perhaps the government tugs would, and
they lay back where he started from; so back the
dear soul struggled again. Is n't it pitiful ? He
just asked a tug if they stopped at Alexandria,
and they told him yes (so strange all this time
nobody questioned him, when usually one can't stir
without a challenge). He walked on board, sat
down in the coal hole, and remembered nothing
more till he was walking up the stairs here.

Dr. Bellangee and I were both sitting down after
having dressed the wounds, hearing the news read ;
the papers had just been brought in when he opened
the door. I saw this poor, dusty fellow all covered
with powder and blood, all bent, leaning on a stick
and looking so old; I never dreamed it was W.,
nor did any one, till he said, " Well, they 've
plugged me again." We all rushed round him,

I oo Adventures of an Army Nurse

and every one burst into tears, — even the doctor
could not command himself. W. just fell on the
nearest bed, and the tears gushed out. He said
so piteously, " I 'm here at last." I can't tell you
what we felt. In a moment the room was full, —
clerks, doctors, everybody who could hobble came
in. His eyes looked frightfully dilated and star
ing, and he was frothing at the mouth as if crazy.
After we recovered a little from our shock the
doctor took him to a room by himself, examined
his wound, and forbade his speaking or being
spoken to, even by me. The room was made per
fectly dark, and there the dear fellow has lain ever
since, just between life and death. Yesterday noon
his eyes contracted, and he began to show symp
toms more favorable.

Dr. B. says he cannot understand how he ever
got here in the state he was in; he never knew
such an instance of will overcoming bodily suffer
ing. He thinks now the skull is not fractured ;
only that the brain is shocked, and that with care
ful nursing he will soon be well. You can judge
a little how weak he is, as he is allowed only one
cracker and a tumbler of milk a day. It is a
frightful responsibility, for the doctor says it all
depends on me now; that one over- feeding will
kill him. I have written you a long chapter on W. ;
but he is our only wounded one yet from the grand

Adventures of an Army Nurse i o i

fight. You will be surprised we are so; every
moment we have been expecting the wounded, but
all the boats go by to Washington. I 'm so sorry ;
I long to have them to care for ; but I won't begin
to make comments. I am so harassed by the thou
sand rumors, I mean to hear or believe nothing
till I know for certain.

I think I told you about the fuss we had with
Dr. Page, H., etc., about some things the Sanitary
Committee sent to Mrs. B., — an elegant lot for
the expected wounded. When she at last got
them, those miserable toads had eaten and drank
everything but twelve cans of milk. Twenty-five
pounds of sugar, twelve bottles of pickles, twelve
bottles of cordial, and some other things had all
been confiscated by them for their own use. Is n't
it a shame? Just look how the people at home
are cheated and duped! I wonder anybody there
ever trusts any one concerned in the war.

OF THE

UNIVERSITY

OF

CHAPTER V

AS already stated, in July of 1863 Mrs.
von Olnhausen was furloughed because
of illness. Returning to Lexington for a
month or more, in September she again reported
for duty. A few pages (the last she wrote) of
her Autobiography will best sum up this period
and the changes in her duties which it brought
about. The letters which follow the Autobiog
raphy cover her experiences during the remaining
months of 1863 in a new field of work, — the
just established hospital at Morehead City, North
Carolina.

Although it is unsafe to criticise without full
knowledge of the facts and conditions, it would
seem to have been more appropriate to send a
woman of such enthusiasm for surgical nursing,
of such personal courage, and of such physical
vigor, to the front rather than to a hospital then
so remote from hostilities, and in which medical
cases were almost certain to preponderate. Mrs.
von Olnhausen always was restive in Morehead
City, and never was persuaded that she might not

Adventures of an Army Nurse 103

have done far more for the soldiers had she been
sent to a field hospital, or at least to one close to
the seat of war, where she could have devoted
herself wholly to the care of severe wounds and
capital operations. Miss Dix was doubtless greatly
influenced by the wishes of Dr. Bellangee, who
naturally desired to retain so reliable a nurse and
so devoted a friend in this Morehead hospital,
which he himself had organized.

\From the Autobiography^

There was at this time an epidemic of dysentery
all through the hospital, and at last I was taken
sick with it, and remained many days half con
scious. All the nurses declared they were too busy
to attend to me, so I lay alone most of the time.
In the mean time the house surgeon attended me
very carefully, and ordered a convalescent to sit
in the room and supply my wants. He was the
funniest little man I ever saw, — a shoe-maker
who got a big bounty as substitute, but whose legs
were so short that he kept falling out of the ranks.
He finally got sick, and was sent here. He had
big, round blue eyes, and in my half-delirium they
looked as large as a cup. He was a German, and
never took those eyes off me. He sat by the door
from morning till night, never moving except to
eat his meals. At last my friends came, and as

1 04 Adventures of an Army Nurse

soon as I could be moved I was taken home on
leave of absence.

After all the turmoil of that life it was so de
lightful to be quiet; but I soon began to recover,
and in a month started back to Alexandria. When
I got there, everything seemed different, as most
of the nurses had been discharged and nearly all
the doctors changed. I found two- letters awaiting
me. One was from my old house surgeon, Dr. S.,
asking me to come to him at Chattanooga and take
charge of a large hospital with a friend of mine.
The other was from my old ward surgeon, Dr.
Bellangee, who was now in charge of a large hos
pital at Morehead City, N. C, asking me, and also
the same friend, to come there. We decided to
take the latter place. We had a tiresome passage
from New York to New Berne, and were glad to
get on shore. New Berne seemed pleasant, and I
would gladly have stayed there ; but Dr. Bellangee
was waiting to take us at once to Morehead City,
where his hospital was established. He had done
wonders in the short time he had been there.
Eight barracks had been built, each containing
about seventy-five beds, some of them already fitted
up. This was certainly the best hospital I saw in
the war. We had an excellent steward who pro
vided most liberally, and we had everything the
sick and wounded could ask for. Dr. Bellangee

Adventures of an Army Nurse 105

was a martinet about the hospital, seeming to be
always everywhere. His skill in surgery was
wonderful, and his care unceasing.

Morehead " City " was made up of about ten
houses, and was the terminus of the railroad, so
transportation for the wounded from New Berne
was easy. There were at first very few patients,
and I feared we should have too little work; but
they began to send us patients from the over-filled
hospitals in New Berne, and there were some skir
mishes between the pickets around us, so we soon
had no cause to complain. At first we had an
assistant surgeon (so called) who was very tena
cious of his rights, and once threatened me with
discharge because in the middle of the night I
applied a mustard draft, without consulting him,
to a man who had colic. He said it was a surgical
operation, and that I had no business to perform
it. Dr. Bellangee, when complained to next morn
ing, laughed quietly, wrote out a permission for
me to use mustard if very necessary, read it to the
surgeon, and sent it to me by his orderly. After
that I could have covered the men with plaisters
if I had chosen.

After the corruption and constant fusses of the
Mansion House, ruled by unscrupulous cooks and
a more unscrupulous steward, one can't describe
the peace of this hospital. One thing was rather

1 06 Adventures of an Army Nurse

strange in Morehead City; not until the last few
months of the war did the Sanitary Commission
ever reach us. It was impossible to get any liquors
or any delicacies except such as were sent me from
Lexington. Those friends, I am thankful to say,
never failed me. I am sure none of the men who
knew me will ever forget Lexington, though they
will have long ago forgotten me, for my foreign
name was too hard to remember. I was always
called Madam, or Mrs. O., or Mrs. Von; some
times they twisted the O into all sorts of words.
My little Reb, when he wrote me, called me
" dear Mrs. Woe," and some have written to the
care of the Lexington Post-Office, directed to
Mrs. Zaugh or Mrs. Owe.

It was singular how one could detect the nation
ality of a man, however poor English he might
speak, by the way he bore suffering. Our men
(I mean Americans) were impressible; the mo
ment they were housed they were so cheerful and
determined to get well that they usually did from
sheer grit, however badly wounded. The Ger
mans, though equally plucky in bearing pain, lay
back with such a resigned manner, a sort of " As
God wills " air. An Irishman complained of
everything, and a Frenchman was the hardest to
please of all ; he was always worse hurt and more
wounded than any other. Our Yankees were

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 07

always ready to help and amuse others when them
selves suffering ever so much, and it was every
where remarked how much more quickly they got
well. The poor Rebels were so discontented at
finding themselves prisoners and wounded, and
had been so badly fed, that their wounds were the
hardest of all to heal, and it was some time before
one could make them hopeful for the future. They
believed, too, that if cured they would be sent to
Northern prisons and treated as our men had
been by them. While in the ward I treated and
tended all alike, much to the disgust of some who
looked on.

In view of some of the references to her Seces
sion patients in Mrs. von Olnhausen's earlier let
ters, it may seem that this last statement is rather
too complacent. Her friends, however, will ap
preciate that however she might rail at these
Rebels, her humanity was too deep to permit of
her neglecting them in the slightest degree.

The following letter, descriptive of her return
journey to Washington, shows how ready she was
to extract entertainment from the most untoward
circumstances.

ALEXANDRIA, Sept. 4, '63, Friday.

I arrived here yesterday morning. Had time
in Washington to fly to Miss Dix and report, and

io8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

get the boat; and thought I should write at once;
but Mrs. B. wanted me to go right back to Wash
ington with her, so I was too tired when I got
home to think of anything; but I will begin at
the beginning.

All F.'s notes and telegrams did not one bit of
good. I had a lonely ride from Boston to the
[Fall River] boat; but the last part of the route
a pleasant woman from Ohio sat with me and
offered her husband's services. I told her, how
ever, the conductor would attend to me. He went
on board and was most polite, but could not find
F.'s friend; so I went into the cabin, and that's
the last I saw of anybody. I waited till nine
before I gave up. I don't know how many times
I sent, and finally word came that all state-rooms
had been engaged for two weeks to come ; so then
I began to hunt for a sleeping place. By great
persuasion I got one on the floor, close by the gang
way. Such a crowd you never saw. One hundred
and fifty women and babies got on at Newport,
and every one was sick; the sea was very rough,
and even the poor little babies were as sick as their
mothers. One woman, a lady, too, had five chil
dren, one a baby; they all were so sick, she just
laid the baby on the floor and left it. I took it
up and held it till it slept, and then laid it on
the foot of some one's bed. You never saw such

Adventures of an Army Nurse 109

a sight; every one who came in or out stepped
over me.

We had such a jolly old stewardess. A waiter
from upstairs came down in the middle of the
night and wanted Mrs. F. ; said that her husband
was sick as death, and she must come right away.
The stewardess called out for Mrs. F. ; nobody
answered. " How can I find her? " she said. He
went and came back, saying, " Mr. F. says you
can find her in a berth in the back part; you will
know her by a great pimple she has. I disremem-
ber where he said it was." " How can I find out
Mrs. F. and her pimple? You go back and tell
Mr. F. if he wants Mrs. F. and her pimple he
can come and hunt her up ; I 've got business
enough of my own to attend to." The man went
off, and just then Mrs. F. appeared in full undress,
very sick, and tugging a very sick baby. Stew
ardess and I were glad to have our curiosity
relieved with regard to the whereabouts of that
pimple; it was on one side of her forehead and
might modestly be called a horn, it stuck out so
far. She sent word to Mr. F. that she and baby
were too sick to live, and he must come right to
her. No Mr. F. appeared, and she and her pimple
retired for the night.

Another woman kept calling, " Oh, stewardess,
do come help me, I am so sea-sick." She was

l io Adventures of an Army Nurse

flying around making beds, and said, " Every one
must do their own sea-sickness ; I 've got a hun
dred and fifty beds to make, and that's as much
as I can do without doing your sea-sickness."
Four women were sitting together, and all so sick ;
she brought one basin and said, " There, you must
all be sick in that, I have not half enough to go
round." Altogether, it was a very funny night.

We were delayed by the fog, and it was eight
before we got in. I gave my checks to the express
man, and then had to wait till eleven before I
could get my trunks. The ride to and through
Philadelphia was as dreary as anything could well
be. I sat beside a copperhead who made me
furious, so I tried to go to sleep. I think the
horse-car arrangement through Philadelphia is
too mean for anything. I never was so sleepy
and so cold.

At twelve I got into the night car, and might
have had a good sleep except for an English
cockney girl who "set up for shapes" and could n't
go to bed because a man was sleeping in the same
car. " Mama, 'ow can I go to bed when there
is a man here?" "Well, dear, he has a right
here." " But, Mama, what 'orrid customs ! You
see, ladies, I have only just crossed the water, and
it 's so 'ard to get used to the customs, we think
it 's so hawful to sleep with a man in the room."

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 1 1

It turned out afterwards she had lived here all her
life and had been to England only on a visit. The
man lay and laughed loud as he could. She opened
her sack and asked Mama " which wine she would
'ave, port or sherry." She took a big horn, and
then regularly undressed, for all her scruples, right
in the alley, and finally looked into this man's berth
and said, " 'Ow can you sleep with the curtains
so close, no hair ? I must have mine open and the
port side door too ; " at first she had insisted on
pinning his together herself. All this while a
funny man was, with many inducements, persuad
ing her to sleep in the car ; her modesty seemed to
vanish with him. She talked for two hours, and
then my bunk broke down and I came near mash
ing her to death; the fright silenced her, and I
got another bunk and finally slept.

Miss Dix was glad to see me, and is decidedly
of the opinion that I must go to New Berne. I
have seen a plan of the hospital and it is splendid
there, with many wounded men who need a sur
gical nurse ; but when I got here Dr. Page was so
glad to see me, and said he wanted me so much
that I don't know what to do. I shall let Miss Dix
decide when she comes this afternoon. The Man
sion House is dreary enough; I don't believe I
can stay here.

We have got into a fine scrape with our mess.

1 1 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

H. (we think it was he) has sued the butcher (I
mean Government, through his information) and
fined him (the butcher) fifty dollars, which he
had to pay. Of course, Mrs. B. appealed, and the
trial has been going on for a week, till to-day it 's
decided against us. Now we have fifty dollars
to pay and, besides, lose thirty dollars' worth of
meat which they have confiscated because, owing
to the fuss, it was left over till this month. All the
nurses except Mrs. W. and us two refuse to pay
their part; so we do it alone. Mrs. B. has ad
vanced me the money till pay-day comes. Miss
Dix says she will take it to higher authority,
and Dr. Page says that after we had drawn the
meat, we had a right to do what we liked with
it. I know there is no right or justice in it;
but what are we to do? So now we are back
on bread and beef; the only thing is we have
enough of these ; but, oh, it 's hard living after
home fare. There can never be an end to fusses
in the Mansion House.

TRANSPORT SHIP, PIER 12,
NEW YORK, Tuesday [September 8, 1863].

Were I to write all my adventures since my
last letter to you, I would have to write a longer
one than you would care to read. I saw Miss Dix
after I wrote, and she decided I must go to New
Berne anyway ; so I had to tell Dr. Page. I hated

Adventures of an Army Nurse 113

to tell him and the Chaplain, for they have both
been such good friends to me. Dr. Page asked
me to stay; but I told him it was impossible; I
could not remain where H. (the Steward) was.
Then he asked me would I come back to him
when he had a hospital without H. He wanted
me to promise that I would; so I did, and the
last thing he said at parting was that I must
keep my promise. After I went out, Dr. B. re
ports that he said, " There goes the best and
truest woman I've met in the service; I like
every inch of her."

Miss Dix said we would have to leave about
Wednesday; so Saturday I went to Washington
to see Mr. U., the beetle man. I did all my pack
ing that evening, and Sunday, at three, we left
the Mansion House, for a while I hope. But now
hear the worst of it ! Just as we were getting into
the ambulance came an order for our arrest and
search ! There 's a sister for you ! That devil H.
sent information to Dr. Page, who was out of
town, that we were removing large quantities of
hospital stores, and so he ordered the officer of
the day to arrest, etc. ! Dr. Barnes happened to be
the man. He came right to Mrs. B. and told her
that rather than do it he would be " broke of the
service." He sent off for the Chaplain, who came
in furious. Now the only stores we took with us

8

1 14 Adventures of an Army Nurse

at all were a box he gave us, which had for a long
time stood in the store-room, but had never been
unpacked, and those things I brought from home.
I found it would cost too much to bring anything
more. Mrs. B. did not tell me, so I did not under
stand at all the fuss. If I had I never would have
left so. I would have insisted on an examination
and have brought H. to grief. The first I knew
of it was when we were half-way to Baltimore.
I don't blame Dr. Page at all. Mrs. B. is furious
with him; but of course he knew nothing of the
truth, and had to act as he did. I am prepared
for anything now! All the clerks and stewards
were around to see the fun, and must have been
much disappointed.

Such a ride to Washington as we had was never
known; the road was crowded with soldiers and
horses, everything moving, — all showing a battle
is soon to come, I think. The dust was so thick
we had to stop for it, and some of the horses even
fell down the embankments. Then came up a
frightful storm and nearly drowned us. When
we got to Washington there was no sleeping-car,
not even a hook to hang our things on. It was
such a long, sleepy ride, ending in that horrid
horse-car arrangement through Philadelphia. It
was very early morning when we got here, and
we could not see the proper authorities till ten, so

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 1 5

we went "bumming" around to find a breakfast.
How forlorn a city is early in the morning.

The captain said we might come on board to
night, though he should not sail till some time
to-morrow. So we came with our traps this
evening. Could you see us ! Such a dirty vessel,
a half-and-half, sometimes steams and sometimes
sails, — both poorly, I guess. I wish you could see
the cockroaches, too; there never was the like
before, I think; everything is covered with them,
and everything black with smoke. I think, too,
every one is drunk on board ; which does not make
it any too comfortable. When one goes nursing,
all things must be expected. The captain says if
the weather is good we shall be there in three days.
I am glad to go to sea at last, but somehow I feel
so strange; I seem to be drifting about without
any will of my own. Miss S. would have a nice
chance to talk " Heavenly Fatherish " !

NEW BERNE,1 N. C., Sunday evening [September 13, 1863].

We are so far safe on our journey, as you will
be glad to learn. We have still thirty miles farther
to go, and shall then, I hope, find friends and a
comfortable home for a while at least. Dr. Bel-
langee's hospital is at Morehead City, instead of

1 Spelling adopted in official reports ; but elsewhere one finds
also Newberne and Newbern.

1 1 6 Adventures of an Army Nurse

here, and it 's been such a bother to get things
straightened out. We leave here in the morning
at nine, so in my next I shall be able to tell you
all about it. That night I wrote you from New
York I did not dare tell you how homesick I
already felt. I think you would have been hardly
willing for me to go if you could have seen me in
that dirty, miserable ship. I did not dare think
of home, or that it was only a week since I had
left you all; it seemed a month by that time. I
can't describe that ship, no words can; if there
was one redeeming thing about it, I would tell it.
It was owned by Jersey people; every one from
cook up was hail-fellow, nobody saw to anything,
the cabin was never cleaned while we were on
board, and as to the other places, you can have no
idea of the filth. How I ever could be brought
to sleep in that berth amazes me now; it was
frightful. Of course I passed all my time, except
the few hours I did sleep, entirely alone on deck;
for Mrs. B. was sick from the time we started, and
nobody was even civil. There were lots of officers
on board, everybody drank, and all were sick a
good part of the way, except Colonel C. and
myself. The first night was pretty frightful; the
old tub rolled badly enough. We were about
thirty miles below Navesink lights when a storm
came on, and the captain had to run back to Sandy

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 1 7

Hook, where we lay till next day at ten. My!
were n't the people sick !

Yesterday morning we got to Cape Hatteras,
where we lay all day. I went ashore in the tug
and wandered about as I liked. There are two
forts there, garrisoned with North Carolina
troops; they don't look like our Northern sol
diers; but such a beach and such waves I never
saw, — miles of it, and the breakers are fearful.
The beach, though so beautiful, is very danger
ous, being full of quicksands. At noon Ensign
Livermore of the gunboat stationed there came with
his gig and invited Mrs. B. and me to dine with
him; he is a Massachusetts man and was most
polite. The captain of the tug, too, invited us
to dine with him; so we had no lack of attention.
The fact is women are so scarce they are appreci
ated. Then, I expect, on the ship the men were
mostly young and thought we were two old cats
and of no account ; but since I came ashore I find
they all thought I was Secesh and going over the
lines. I remember two or three asked me if I was.
I answered no ; but as B. used to say, " did not
feel like talking," so did not enlighten them. I
would have been furious if I had thought they
took me for a Reb. We got in here this morning
by daylight. It is such a lovely town, — not the
streets or houses, I mean, but the trees, — every

1 1 8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

street so beautifully shaded, and with such large
gardens. I wanted to go to the fort, but a big rain
came, so we have had to stay in. I shall be glad
when we are quiet and settled; a fortnight of
rushing around is as much as I want at a time.

MOREHEAD CITY, N. C., September 24, 1863.

I can't tell exactly what my impression was in
getting here; it looked forlorn enough. We are
thirty miles from New Berne, cars once a day.
Dr. Bellangee received us most kindly; at once
took us over the grounds, but did not give us our
places for a couple of days, most of which time I
spent in the woods about us. The open sea is
only two miles away, and the air is splendid;
enough of it, too, for it blows a tempest. All
is in such an unfinished state yet here; but Doctor
is driving the men to get them on. Six of the
large barracks (forty-five beds each) are com
pleted, three or four more are to be soon done.
They are not all filled yet, but there is some talk of
breaking up the New Berne hospitals and sending
all the sick here, which I should think would be
done, it 's so unhealthful there. We have only
two hundred yet here; most all are Massachu
setts men, — the Seventeenth, Twenty-third, and
Twenty-fifth ; and two or three more lie all around
here ; the Twenty-eighth, too, is in New Berne. It

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 1 9

seems good to have Massachusetts men sick; but
most all are too well to be interesting. Night
before last, about one, a train came down express ;
next morning I was told that the Second Massa
chusetts had come to garrison a fort near here. I
tell you it made my heart beat; but I soon found
it was the Second Artillery. It 's only been from
home five weeks, and already so many are sick
with chills. I have three of them very ill with
fever.

I told you I was too mad last Sunday to write;
the reason was we had planned to go on a little
excursion, — all the mess ; but the Chaplain made
a fuss and stopped it, and asked us as a favor to
go to church, at three. That was bad enough;
but after we were done there, and thoroughly
shrived, Dr. Bellangee stood up and said he would
excuse no one, and expected us all to follow him
and go to dress parade of the Eighty-sixth (I
believe), that lies near us, and after that attend
services there. I asked to be excused, but he said
no. You may think I was mad; here we were
marched out like so many cats, — first the two
doctors (Doctor has only one assistant) ; then the
steward; after them we two; and after us all
the lame, halt, and blind by twos over this sand
for a quarter of a mile to see the poorest drilling
I ever saw and hear the worst preaching. I got

1 20 Adventures of an Army Nurse

so thoroughly cross that I could have sworn every
moment. To crown all he would not then excuse
us, but made us all march back again. I would
not speak another word the whole evening. Did
you ever get that mad you would not be satisfied ?
That 's the way I was ; I could not even sleep.

MOREHEAD CITY, September 28 [1863].

I was so glad to get your letter yesterday, and
should have answered it immediately, but was sick
in bed. I can't know the cause, for I 'm sure it
could not be too much eating, as in all our poor
eating this beats all. I don't mean in quantity,
for I never was in a hospital so liberally fed ; but
as I can't eat salt horse, and never did like potatoes
and onions, and, until this week, we have had to
buy all our bread, which has been both sour and
heavy, I don't think it was eating that did it. I
felt weak as a rat yesterday, but am all right
again, and such a beautiful day never was seen.

We had a very bad storm last night and looked
out for wrecks this morning, but can see none.
The surf sounds so grand, and it 's just like a
June day. So many mocking-birds are singing,
and, as we have had no frost yet, it 's beautifully
green in the woods. I believe I begin to feel a
little less homesick, but am no better contented
with my work, and have fully determined not to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 2 1

stay here long. As far as the doctor goes, I could
not ask better ; he is kind as can be, and gives us
every privilege; but I really have nothing to do.
I should die to have so little work ; I don't believe
in wasting time so. I am sure I 'm equal to better
things. I certainly did not come into the service
to play; and every walk I take I feel as if I were
a real humbug. I have only one man really sick,
and those I 've had never stay sick more than three
or four days ; as soon as they breathe this fine air
they get right up.

MOREHEAD CITY, November 12 [1863].
MANSFIELD HOSPITAL.

I first of all must ask forgiveness for neglecting
so long to write ; but you see I every day expected
Miss Dix's answer, and then, though it came three
or four days ago, I felt so disappointed at its not
containing an immediate recall that it put me out
of heart for writing. Excuses over, I '11 tell about
Miss Dix's brief letter, — same old style : " My
child, be patient; not one nurse in any hospital
has much to do just now, but you'll soon have
enough to do. I may send you to Nashville or
Hilton Head, circumstances will determine which !
In the mean time do not leave without authority ! "
So I wait ! Don't think I shall leave here without
regret, for really I never have had so many friends
in any place.

122 Adventures of an Army Nurse

This climate is beautiful; only one frost yet,
night before last, and that slight; and the sea
always so grand, and making it so healthful. Then
these boat excursions are too jolly; always some
adventure. Getting aground and having to wait
for hours for the tide is a common experience.
The people, too, are such a different race from any
I 've ever met before ; they beat Illinois hollow.
Here they sit from morning till night in their
cabins, with their snuff sticks, chewing, chewing,
never reading; sometimes spinning or knitting
a little; looking so vacant; living on fish and
" Eupon " tea. I don't know how the word is
spelled, but it sounds like that; it's an evergreen
something like myrtle; they parch the leaves and
then boil them. To me it tastes like senna. They
have very little flour and less cornmeal; but the
everlasting sweet potatoes are everywhere. Such
a life ! You can't make them talk. There they sit
and chew or pipe. They need us. This Shackel-
ford Island opposite us is I don't know how many
miles long. It 's very narrow, never half a mile
wide. The best house on it an Irishman would
be ashamed of. They are all fishermen, and it 's
said there is not a Reb on the whole island.

I am going to give a picture of one of my days
and then I '11 have done. I rise at reveille (six).
I never go into the ward before breakfast, so I

Adventures of an Army Nurse 123

have time to bathe and dress at my ease. Break
fast about seven. From there I go to the cook
house to see what the bill of fare is for the day;
then over here in time for the surgeon's call at
eight. I go all around with the doctor, do what
I have to do in this ward (Division i) ; then, at
nine, Doctor and I go to Division 7, a big ward
for commissioned officers I have charge of. I
stay another hour there, then over to the cook
house, make my puddings, back to Division i in
time for the mail at eleven, over to the cook-house
to see that I get the best that is going for my
trays, back again to my wards to see dinner dis
tributed, then off to my dinner in another direction.
After dinner I pass an hour or two in this ward
(here are all the sickest men), unless we go for
a walk. At four I go to the cook-house again
to see about supper, canter back to give it to them,
then canter off to supper. Evenings I generally
pass with Mrs. B. Tattoo at eight; but we don't
have to mind that; ten is our hour for breaking
up. So you can see what every day is when we
are not off sailing. All this cantering round is
very healthy, as you must know. I 'm always in
the open air.

I send you this little rough sketch of our hos
pital grounds, so you can see where I live. It is
quite a walk to the different places I have to visit

1 24 Adventures of an Army Nurse

through the day. These large barrack wards each
have forty beds and can hold more. Just now there
is hardly an empty bed in the whole hospital, but
there are no sick men except in Division i, and
these have only chronic diarrhoea; just have to
have their diet regulated and to lie in bed; they
need no other care.

MOREHEAD CITY, December 10 [1863].

Still here ! How much longer I 'm to write
from this I don't know; and there are thousands
now who need me. I feel so discouraged. I have
a mind to cut Miss Dix altogether and run away;
you can't know how impatient I feel. She told
me in her last brieflet to wait with patience
till the sixth, and then she should write again
and assign me to another place. That is why
I did not write Sunday; I wanted to await her
letter. It has not come, and I 'm mad as a pig.
Really you can't know how I want to get out of
this.

Yesterday they brought me a wounded Rebel,
not wounded by fighting, but in making shingles
or something. He cut his hand fearfully, and
the artery was entirely severed ; it keeps bleeding,
so he has to be watched day and night. It 's
pretty tedious to have to sit all day looking at the
very dirtiest paw you ever saw. He is so fright-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 125

ened about himself. This and the nigger who was
shot, all for love, are the only wounds I 've had
to dress, so I am forgetting all I knew.

MOREHEAD CITY, December [1863].

The whole hospital has been in such a state of
consternation and trustification the last ten days
it 's been impossible to write or do anything one
ought to. News came at that time that this hos
pital was to be broken up and all scattered to the
winds. Nobody knew for why, only that it was
to be done. I was sure then of leaving, expecting
perhaps to have to go home, when Miss Dix did
not order me somewhere; but Thursday night,
about six, the Inspectors arrived. We were not
expecting them, and had made no preparations.
Dr. Bellangee suggested waiting till daylight; but
they thought to catch us, and started about eight
with lanterns, blundering round, waking up the
sick men, and poking into everything. There were
six of them. Next morning they started early,
without Dr. Bellangee, and went over all again.
When they left the doctor, they said it was inevi
table that the hospital be closed; the orders were
peremptory from General Butler (who had never
seen the house anyway). When they got back to

headquarters, Dr. McC. said " he was if it

should be closed ; it was the best regulated hospital

i 26 Adventures of an Army Nurse

he ever saw, — everything was as near perfect as
could be." Dr. Bellangee was radiant, for he did
not know where they would send him to, and was
so nicely fixed here. The weather is beautiful,
like spring; we still go boating and rowing.

CHAPTER VI

DESPITE her continued pleadings to be
sent to the front, Mary von Olnhausen
remained at Morehead City throughout
the greater part of 1864. Her impatience at inac
tion was very great during the early months of that
year; but the numbers of sick and wounded grad
ually increased ; a large influx of refugee " poor
whites " gave scope for her extraordinary loving-
kindness; and, in the fall, came an enemy worse
than the Rebels — yellow fever — for her to do
battle with, especially in trying to rescue from its
grim clutches her beloved Dr. Bellangee. Her
devotion and skill could not, however, save him;
and soon after his death, worn out in body and
mind, she herself contracted the disease and lay
for many days critically ill. Her care for others
was requited by the tender nursing which at this
time she herself received; and as soon as it was
possible she was taken North to that Lexington
which she always looked upon as her haven of
refuge. The following letters cover these nine
months of impatience, of ever-increasing work

128 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and responsibility, and, finally, of the great sorrow
which came in the death of her dear chief.

January I [1864], 12 A. M., Friday morning.

Happy New Year, and many kisses to all at
home!

I was going to have such a good time writing
and watching the Old Year out, as I have done
for many years, and singing my one hymn, when,
just as I had got a letter written to C., came
in Captain C., wet through to the skin, cold as
the iciest of ice, hungry like a wolf, and, more
than all, with a badly sprained ankle (I 'm hanged
if I know how to spell that last word — is it k
or c?). Of course, I had to leave all and attend
to him, and so at twelve, instead of having written
you a good, cheerful letter, as I should have done,
I was suaging (N. C. dialect) his swollen limb
(can't venture that other word again), and only
had time to begin this and sing my hime.

Now to-day I 'm all down in the bluest depths,
cross or something, and impatient, forgetting in
my wilful wickedness that the good God has given
me anything this past year to be thankful for,
even in this sterile spot, and only remembering
friends and joys that I can't reach, and looking
gloomily backward instead of hopefully and joy
fully forward as a good, pious Christian ought to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 129

do and does. I 'm sure I would be pious if I could,
but I 've tried and tried and can't catch the spirit ;
either I don't know how, or the Lord won't help
me; "I 'se so wicked, 'pears like." Anyway I 'm
not always so desponding, thank fortune, and am
sometimes singing praises all day long. Good
Lord, deliver me from this slough ; I 'm in it fairly
up to the chin.

To read the following letter, and to remember
that the writer of it was then nearly fifty years
old, is to gain some idea of the abounding energy
of this " second-best belle."

MOREHEAD CITY (as usual), January 3, 1864.
I am so discouraged about writing, I have no
heart to. First of all, now let me darn my com-
mander-in-chief. Here she will keep me for the
rest of my life, I suppose. She wrote to Dr. Bel-
langee to ask if he was satisfied with his nurses
and could make them useful. Dr. B. of course
wrote, yes ; and so I 'm to remain. I feel so dis
heartened, I can't get over it. To be sure, just
now we have two very bad typhoid cases ; but they
can't last much longer, and then I shall be out of
a job and can just loaf. For the last fortnight I
have had a ward cram-full; but every one is up
for discharge or furlough, and there are no more

9

i 30 Adventures of an Army Nurse

sick here; so then what '11 I do? Why can't
somebody want me and make me come?

You will be surprised to know I went to a real
ball New Year's night. All sorts of fine doings
over at Fort Macon. Dr. Bellangee would not
take a denial from Mrs. B. or me; so we had to
go, though I really had nothing to wear. I
patched up that purple skirt of mine, and the white
waist that D. gave me; but I had no gloves or
boots, only thick ones, and felt rather shabby ; and
then having hardly a spear of hair! I was not
first-best, but, as there were only seven ladies, I
had to be a belle, and so danced continuously.

You can have no idea of the storm that night;
it never rained harder. The sea was fearful. We
went a mile to the station on a hand car, and then
took the tug to the Fort (two miles) ; it was
about as wild a night as one would care to put to
sea in; and just after we arrived there came up
the awfulest thunder-shower you ever heard; it
sounded as if all the guns in the fort were ex
ploding. Our party of five ladies was the only
one that ventured out. There were thirty-seven
invited (ladies, I mean) and they had made big
preparations. The dance-hall was trimmed with
flags and evergreens, the music was good, and the
supper fine; but it was the dullest affair I ever
went to. All were so disappointed that it was

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 3 1

impossible to get up any life. It was so stormy
we could not leave till five in the morning; and
then when we got to the station the mule who
dragged our hand car down had run away, and
the nigs had run away too; so we had to come
that mile on our tired pedals. It was a tough
walk with the gale dead ahead, and nearly blowing
us off the track into the sea; for it is only a pier
that the cars run on. I flattered myself I 'd have
an hour's sleep anyway ; but just as I got upstairs
they came and said F. was worse. As soon as
I looked at him I saw he would n't live long, so
just hurried off my ball fixings and stayed with
him till he died, about nine that morning.

MOREHEAD CITY, January 19 [1864].
I have only a few minutes just to tell you how
tired I am and let you know where I am. For the
past ten days I have had no attendant but one
Frenchman, who does not speak a word of Eng
lish. When this last call was made for all able-
bodied men to return to their regiments, my
watchman had to go; and the same day both my
attendants (of course, broken-down invalids) were
taken sick, one with typhoid and one with acute
dysentery, so I had to watch all day and part of
every night, besides doing extra cooking and all
kinds of work through the day. Of course I

132 Adventures of an Army Nurse

am tired out; as you may see when I say I have
fourteen patients all in bed, ten with the worst
kind of typhoid pneumonia, so they have to be
lifted and fed and washed, as they can't raise a
hand. I have not left my ward, except to eat,
since I wrote last.

MOREHEAD CITY, February 5, 1864.

I wrote you on Monday that news had come that
New Berne was attacked. On Tuesday, about
twelve o'clock, a despatch came that Newport
Barracks, ten miles from this, was attacked by
a large Rebel force. It was held by the Ninth
Vermont, one company of the Second Massachu
setts Heavy Artillery, and a single company of the
Nineteenth Wisconsin. Colonel Jourclan of the
One Hundred and Fifty-eighth New York started
from here immediately with what few men he had
left (the best had already been sent in defence of
New Berne), and two field-pieces and a few men
from Company C of the Massachusetts H. A.,
leaving this place almost defenceless. I forgot to
say that all the night before the cars were running,
bringing down arms and ammunition for the re
cruits of the One Hundred and Fifty-eighth and
Second; until they were brought there was not a
single gun left in the town; smart, I think.

Well, to go on with my story. Jourdan started

Adventures of an Army Nurse 133

with his raw recruits, but the cars were attacked
and he had to come back. Soon the negroes began
to flock in ; they came by hundreds, such frightened
beings, leaving everything except their children
behind them. The gunboats (one, I mean, a small
one) came up and lay opposite the town. Every
citizen was compelled to take arms, and every
negro was put to work on the entrenchments.

Such a scurrying time you never saw. All the
company stores were sent on board the ships, and
all the stores of the regiment too; and every one
began to pack his traps. Everything seemed to be
thought of except the patients. Mrs. B. was in
a fine stew packing her trunk. By dark we could
see Newport Barracks burning, but could learn
nothing of the men who defended it. You never
did hear of such a night, I guess, as that was, —
the citizen women screaming from every house,
so loud that we could hear them, because their
men were compelled to fight and, of course, to be
killed without mercy; the terrified negroes con
stantly arriving; the thousand reports brought in
each moment; the occasional firing of a gun by
some very scared sentry ; and always such a rush
ing to and fro. I utterly refused to pack or budge
unless the patients went too; but, at one o'clock,
C. [hospital attendant] insisted on my sending my
traps at least to the Fort, if I would not go myself.

1 34 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Flying men had begun to come in, some slightly
wounded, all with alarming stories; and some of
those at the fort which defends the town (Fort
Heckman) could hear the Rebs chopping trees, etc.

So I began to pack. War packing is a pretty
hopeless job at any time; under such pressure it
was impossible to choose. I wanted my treasures,
and C. said to take the dry-goods; so it was war
between us. However, I managed to smuggle in
my best traps; but I began to realize how incon
venient they are unless one is decidedly fond of
them. We got through at last, and then went
out to watch the beginning of the expected battle.
There were not three hundred men in all, and the
Rebs were said to be five thousand strong. The
moon came up, and it was such a lovely scene, —
the signals from the two forts and the gunboats
(two at the station and one at Fort Macon), the
frogs singing as if nothing were going on, and
the air so warm and still. We sat for hours, and
only when the morning broke went to bed. The
patients had at last fallen asleep, and broad day
light found them still sleeping. I had to give big
doses of morphine to accomplish even that.

Well, the night was over, and the Rebels had not
come, and everybody was quite worn out. The
excitement was intense, cut off as we were from
all communications, and just waiting to be " took."

Adventures of an Army Nurse 135

About ten in the morning news came that the
Ninth Vermont and Mix's New Cavalry (I for
got to mention them) had crossed the Newport
River, burned the railroad bridge, and come down
on the other side to Beaufort. I must tell you first
how this place lies: we are on a very narrow
strip with Bogue Sound on one side and Calico
Creek on the other; then another narrow strip,
and then Newport River; so you see they had a
good distance to get round. They were soon
brought over here, and people felt a little relieved
to have some more help. At first it was supposed
half of the men were killed or prisoners, but they
have been gradually straggling back, so now but
few, comparatively, are not accounted for, — only
the Nineteenth Wisconsin has not been heard
from. I '11 bet they fought; that is a bully regi
ment, and we fear that all who were left are
prisoners.

Now here was another day and night, — con
stant alarms, everybody all ready for flight. Doc
tor gave shelter in one of the barracks to about
a hundred negro women and children who had
to be fed and cared for, besides the sick and tired
soldiers pouring in all day; but at least we had
more soldiers in the forts, though they were tired
ones. Still the Rebels did not come. All day
yesterday (Thursday) we could see fires in all

1 36 Adventures of an Army Nurse

directions, perhaps turpentine and perhaps homes
of loyal men. About two we could see parties of
people moving about on the opposite side of the
creek a mile and a half away, and big fires too;
now it seemed inevitable that we were to be " done
took," and I guess no one lay down quite easy
in his bed. But morning found us all right,
and, later, the Spaulding came with the Twenty-
first Connecticut, old fighters, and, they say, good.
Anyway, at two they, with the Ninth Vermont and
Cavalry, started on an expedition; the cars took
them up seven miles and left them to proceed to
Newport Barracks on foot ; of course, by this time
the Rebels were miles away. I have no doubt
reinforcements will be sent to our help from New
Berne unless that is taken, and I reckon it is not,
though it has been surrounded; but they have
many forts and gunboats. All communication is
cut off, the bridge burned and telegraph destroyed,
so God knows how they may be; anyway, all are
sure of a quiet night, and I have, as you see, a little
leisure to tell you about it. I have been so often
reminded of Mrs. Bluebeard and her sister Ann,
for there has been such a constant watching from
high places for reinforcements, and my gallery
has been the principal scene of action all the day :
" Do you see any steamers ? " " Nary a steamer,"
— till the head was almost off. I believe Madam

Adventures of an Army Nurse 137

was going to have her head off; I 've almost for
gotten the modus operandi.

Through all this I have been so provoked that
I could not get up one bit of a scare or even excite
ment; I could not even feel anxious. Of course
I could not sleep for the everlasting hubbub, but,
I don't say it for boasting, I could n't see it. It
seemed to me quite a nice phase in war life. Had
I really believed the Ninth and Cavalry made a good
stand and had really lost many men, I might have
felt different ; but as they once passed six months
in Chicago as paroled prisoners, and Harper's Ferry
was all the fight they ever were in, I believed they
would skedaddle ingloriously, as I believe they
did, and as we most of us here meant to. I may
be unjust, but that is what I say. Anyway, one
thing they did, and that was mean; they burned
the long bridge behind them, completely cutting
off the retreat of the Cavalry and the Second
Massachusetts [H. A.] and poor Wisconsin, so
they had to swim for it; and it is said many of
the Second boys were drowned; anyway, they are
missing yet.

They talk of many wounded and killed, but they
brought only three into Beaufort, and one or two
have straggled in here. All that came I have in
my ward. The Ninth had been recruited by four
hundred; the recruits arrived at eleven and were

138 Adventures of an Army Nurse

attacked at twelve; rather soon to begin, but it
is said they stood up well. It seems, though, that
the most who are missing are the new ones. One
sad story I have heard: two brothers stood side
by side, and both were killed within a moment of
each other; a hard sorrow for the poor parents
at home. I fear I have not given you a very
graphic account of what has really been quite an
interesting episode in our life; but it is so hard
to tell stories good.1

I sometimes am tempted to send you a nigger;
I know such a nice servant, and she wants to go
North. I have a little one to take care of my room
and run my errands. If her nose were in order,
she would be quite charming ; but I am constantly
charging on her for that, and it is quite wearing;
especially, too, as I have to supply her the needful
apparatus, which she is continually losing.

MOREHEAD CITY, February 25 [1864].

I have had my hands full of wounded at last.
I have twelve wounds to-day, all, I reckon, that
were wounded in that bloody battle of Newport
Barracks. My crowning was a Rebel who was
brought to me to-day with a good Union ball
through his lungs; such a gaunt, haggard, ema
ciated specimen of humanity you never have seen,

1 For these skirmishes see " Official Records of the War of the
Rebellion," Series I. vol. xxxiii. p. 47.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 139

because such kinds of men are never found up there ;
they are peculiar to North Carolina, a true type
of all. When I should tell he was dirty, you could
not then understand the word in its full sense;
you must see a Southern soldier first to under
stand. I had him washed and cut and clothed,
and now I hope to be able to approach him without
having my nose tied up. The poor fellow, though,
is very grateful and very sick. He was left, with
another, when the Rebels retired at their leisure;
but before they left him they stripped off all his
clothes ; they could not afford to leave even those.
I have put him in a room with my pet patient,
Will S., of the gallant Ninth. Now Willie is a
real character, and I expect there will be some fun
there; he has a ball in the back of his head. He
makes so much fun of his wound and the way his
face was pointed ; often asks me if I had not rather
be dressing that than his nose, which would prob
ably have been the seat of the injury if he had
minded his old mother and not run ; but, he says,
somehow the legs would go that way spite of all
he could do. He declares that in the midst of it,
thinking about her, he said to himself, "Land, she
would run too, if she was here and saw all those
darned Rebs after her ; " and that was the last
thought he had for some time. He is such a homely
fellow, and with his shaved head and bandages

140 Adventures of an Army Nurse

would make a capital scarecrow. Poor man! it
is doubtful if he gets well, and he knows his
danger ; but it does n't stop his fun at all.

Another good patient I have is Tom G., of the
same regiment. He is shot in the right arm, near
the shoulder. There is constant danger of hemor
rhage, and he is in intense pain (probably the nerve
is severed) ; but he bears it splendidly, and is
always ready to laugh. His companion is a cross
Frenchman who had a bad wife and hates women ;
so he kept his head always covered when I came
near him and never spoke, — only moaned. He
is slung up in an anterior splint and hates the
"damned machine;" but somehow, lately, he
has got to liking the " damned " women better,
and really looks at me with smiles, and, to-day,
asked me to write an English letter to his dear
cousin Margy; so I think I have conquered him
with kindness, and made him have a better opinion
of women generally.

MOREHEAD CITY, April 3 [1864].

All the boys want me to write their letters to
you; but I tell them no, they must get some boy
to write. I have to write for five of them every
week, often several letters, and it is about as
hateful a thing as they could set me at. When
practice makes perfect, I shall be a good letter-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 141

writer before I die, if the war lasts awhile. I
think, had I known this part of my duties, I never
would have enlisted. Sergeant H. almost wore
me out; he had so many kinsfolk, and every day
somebody must be written to. It is so hard to
express other people's thoughts. Smith's, now,
are entertaining; he dictates and I write what
he says, when I can for laughing.

The " terrible schoolma'ms " of the following
letter do not appear in any earlier correspondence.
Probably the letter referring to them has been
lost.

MOREHEAD CITY, May 6 [1864].

I have only a few moments just to tell you the
Rebels have not got here yet, though some people
are hourly expecting them; not so I. I still be
lieve they will not venture here. The town is
full of rumors and nothing is known. The train
was cut off yesterday, and the wires severed; the
last news was that they were fighting hard at
New Berne, and that terrific Ram was there, and
all sorts of horrid things.

For us, we are full of refugees; three hundred
and fifty women and children came here the day
after I last wrote you, and since then Bedlam
has been let loose. The schoolma'ms seemed ter
rible, as I told you; but think of so many dirty

142 Adventures of an Army Nurse

women and children let into the grounds. They
occupy two big barracks; some of them have not
a change of clothes. They had only an hour's
notice to quit Washington [N. C.]. You cannot
know anything of squalor till you see these people,
all piping and chewing and crying everlastingly;
perfectly satisfied to sit on the floor without mak
ing an effort to better their condition, only by an
extra chew of snuff. We can't even make them
wash themselves or their clothes; everybody is
busy doing for them, for something must be done.
I never before knew anything of war horrors;
you should see and hear them to believe. Some
of these women's husbands have fallen into the
Rebels' hands; of course they are murdered, as
not a North Carolinian has escaped, they say.
You have already seen how the Rebels treated the
negroes; the men were marched out in squads,
made to dig their own graves, and then murdered
and thrown into them, one at a time. I saw a
man yesterday who saw it. Every child, even,
who was found with a bit of black on it was
treated in the same way. Our men at Plymouth
were all stripped, and in an hour every Rebel was
dressed in our uniform. Both Plymouth and
Washington are destroyed, and, they say, Roanoke
is also taken. All those places were won by such
hard fighting and so hardly kept, so much life lost,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 143

and now to be given right up again ! It is too bad ;
what do they mean to do?

I must tell you of my new charge. I have
selected from the lot three of the lousiest, dirtiest,
raggedest little things you ever saw in your life,
and brought them here to take care of. The oldest,
a girl, is blind, and so ignorant and forlorn. They
had not a person in the world to take care of them,
not a bed to sleep on; the little boys are really
pretty, but such sights as they were when I brought
them up here; not a spot on their bodies that
is n't sore. Of course, the first thing I did was to
strip them and burn everything they had on, and
they were literally naked in the world. The
mother and baby died a few days since, and the
father is a soldier in the Second North Carolina,
God knows where. I have been sewing my hand
off to get something made for them, and now have
them quite decent. I give them a scrub in soap
and water every night, and the poor little things
are looking more human now. Of course, they
are a great care; but I had to do it; those poor
blind eyes were too strong for me. Her name
is Angelico ; she has a new coat and shoes for the
first time, and is really smiling; but she has
awfully dirty habits, and I tell you the " Heavenly
Father feeling " comes in play often. I shall keep
them till some provision can be made for them by

1 44 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the Government, or the father can come for them.
One of the soldiers will adopt the youngest if his
father will give him up entirely.

The monotony of the summer's work was re
lieved, as occasion offered, by camping out on the
ocean side of Shackelford Island (see p. 122),
where, with other women of the hospital staff,
Mrs. von Olnhausen spent many a pleasant hour
bathing, walking, and searching for shells and
sea-weeds.

August 22 [1864].

I have been to the sea for a day or two, and
yesterday (Sunday) a big storm came; the tents
are old and leaky and so Dr. Bellangee sent for
us. The storm was fearful, and it is two miles
to cross; but Dr. Cowgill thought it was safer
in the boat than there, and such a sail as we had
over ! The sea was awful, and the wind, in gusts,
dead ahead. Soon after we started I guess every
one wanted to be on shore again; but there was
no going back without swamping, so on we came.
We were two hours getting over and were wet to
the pelt. Then the boat shipped water and had
been at the wharf only a few moments when she
sank, kerflop! I assure you I shall never go to
sea in such a storm again.

I can't yet tell for certain about my coming

Adventures of an Army Nurse 145

home; though, unless pay day comes, it would
be impossible anyway, for I would not go with
out a little money ahead. And I must tell you
of a very foolish thing I did. That Mrs. C.
(schoolma'm) who was here awhile ago had a
big wardrobe and no money ; she came to me with
such a pitiful story about her child, etc., and
wanted me to buy some of her dresses. At first
I ridiculed the idea; but she was persistent and
sorrowful; and finally, Mrs. B. also came and
urged. I told her I was no judge of the worth
anyhow; she said she would be umpire, and as
she has kept store, etc., and is very shrewd, I
thought she would be fair to me ; so I took three
dresses and some laces. Well, after I paid her
and showed my bargain, everybody laughed at me ;
and I for once see the truth of " a fool and her
money." I guess nobody was ever so taken in!
Wasn't it real shabby in Mrs. B., and she, too,
laughs ; and worse than all, C. told around among
all the employees of the hospital that I was such
a green woman; that I insisted on buying her
clothes ; she kept refusing, but it was no use, have
them I would, and now she had to make fresh ones
just to gratify my whims! So all that pay went
for nothing; as I certainly would never wear one
of them here.

You are real comforting in saying it 's fortunate

10

1 46 Adventures of an Army Nurse

my children all died, when I mourned so for
them! You can't know how I missed Franky;
he was such a dear little boy. You ask what has
become of all those people; they are scattered
about in tents and shanties and live not half so
good as pigs. I came across one woman yester
day, in my walk, who was living with her daughter
and granddaughter under a quilt spread over a
pole. It was just high enough to sit in, the bed
was spread right in the sand, and such a bed ! and
such an unhappy old woman ! as you may believe.
She was driven from a good home, where she
had been born and expected to die. She had a
nice farm, well stocked ; but would be Union and
so had to fly for her life. They robbed her of
everything; but she says it doesn't matter much;
she had rather be so than one of them! I have
heard so many old women say the same thing ; the
young ones only seem bad! I have seen so much
misery since I have been in North Carolina that
I forget all I have ever seen before! Our Illinois
farm was princely. It will either harden me to
stone or else take away every bit of selfishness
from me.

August 23 and September 4, 1864.

A fortnight ago I got so far along, and since
then I 'm hanged if I 've had a minute to write or
do anything (only when I am too tired) till to-day.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 47

The nigs * are more than I can stand ; they bully
me so I don't know where I am. One of them told
me this morning " she 'd give me a shakin' down
yet 'fore she got t' rough ; " which sounds so re
spectful that I Ve been quite satisfied with myself
and my dignity ever since. She is a miserable-
looking little article, too, black as night, and with
such thick lips. I made her fold some dressing-
gowns over for the fifth time, and she thought that
was once too often considering she had washed
them over twice! Now you can see the good of
giving me such a place. I'm no more fit to manage
them than those of their own color. But this week
has brought me all right so far as work goes; I
have made things shine, and now defy any one
to find fault; they gave unconditional praise on
inspection this morning.

MOREHEAD CITY, September 18, 1864.
This life is more monotonous now than I ever
knew it before ; it 's the same thing each day,
varied a little, when the cars come, with the hope
of mail and the rumors of the fever which is raging
at New Berne. Some say it is the yellow fever
and some that it is congestive chills; anyway it is
alarming, as so far all have died in a short time
after being taken. I only half believe the stories;

1 In the laundry, of which she had been put in charge.

148 Adventures of an Army Nurse

but every one who comes down seems tolerably
frightened, and many families are moving away.
Thus far it is confined mostly to citizens; few
soldiers have been attacked. If it should prevail
to a great extent, of course it is my duty to go
there, and I suppose I shall. I have no fear of it,
and only doubt whether I could do much good;
but still I shall try.

September 24, 1864.

I must write you a short letter, fearing you will
be anxious about the fever at New Berne; so far
we are all well here. One woman who came from
New Berne with the disease has died, and one case
has appeared in the hospital; but still it seems
almost impossible that it can prevail here, this is
such a healthful place and so clean too, thanks to
Dr. Bellangee. He stayed here only one day, and
then was ordered up to New Berne to take charge
of the Health Department. He is made President
of the board and is doing sweeping work there;
he wrote to-day that he is making a fearful
amount of enemies, and is constantly exposed to
danger, but he would shirk nothing; that he con
sidered it his duty as long as God spared him.

He wrote to his wife and me together, begging
me to stay by through this crisis; that he should
feel such courage if he knew I was here to do my
share. He would not hear of my going to New

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 49

Berne. You see I had my papers all arranged to
go Monday on the Petrel, that sails from this port ;
but I found him so sad about it I gave it up. I
had anticipated so much pleasure in being at home ;
but that must be deferred now till another time.
I hope the fever will soon abate, and then I shall
think again of starting. I will send a bulletin
every few days, so don't be worried about me.

September 28, 1864.

I am sure you will be glad to hear from me if
only a few words. I am so sorry to tell you that
our dear doctor was brought back here yesterday so
sick that I can't tell you how he is. That fearful
fever, no one can say how it will terminate; but
his symptoms are not so bad as some who have
come here.

September 30, 1864.

I did not write yesterday, as it was such an
anxious day with us all. Doctor was very sick all
day, and I could not leave him for a moment. To
day he is still bad; but the symptoms are all en
couraging, and if he holds out as he is now till
after four o'clock this afternoon, we feel as if all
danger would be passed, — I mean the frightful
part; of course he will be fearfully prostrated,
and it will require all his iron constitution to carry

150 Adventures of an Army Nurse

him through till Monday, when he will begin to
rally.

Till you are with it you can have no idea of
this dreadful fever; nothing else approaches it
except cholera. The effect upon the spirits would
alone be distressing enough; but then the agony
of the patient, and his consciousness of the danger
add so much to the horror. No one expects to live,
and when the black vomit comes that look of
despair with the " There is no show for me any
longer " makes your heart just full.

The news from New Berne is bad enough to-day ;
the fever seems on the increase and the weather
is still warm; this morning was fearful. We are
still spared here; no cases except those brought
from there; and though the doctor so far is the
only hopeful one, yet there were many more cases
in New Berne cured this week than last. Perhaps
they treat it better ; though it is often the fact in
this epidemic that after the third week the pro
portion of cures is much greater. It seems it ap
peared as early as the first of September, but they
have been trying to keep it dark ; called it conges
tive chills, etc., and took no steps to remove the
causes even, till Dr. Bellangee went there.

The world has to thank Dr. - — , a Massachu
setts man, who has been Health Officer there, for
all this. He has allowed everything to accumulate

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 5 1

and has never remonstrated, — not even with the
Quartermaster, who filled in a whole square of the
dock with condemned beef, pork, and vegetables.
The barrels were thrown in just as they were, full,
and were then covered with about three feet of
earth. The fever originated there, and not one
in that quarter got well. It then spread all over
the town. Moreover, the town has never been
drained, and every vault and sink, even of the
hospital, is in an awful condition. It's too bad
that so many lives should be sacrificed to such
wanton neglect. It is said that dead hogs and
dogs and other animals come floating down those
two sluggish streams that surround New Berne
(the Neuse and Trent) and make into an eddy at
the piers; there they lie, putrid, till they finally
melt away. What can one hope from such a town ?
I would gladly go there and do my share of it.
Can I be too glad, though, that I am here to nurse
the doctor? He needs me so much. The boys
turn pale when I speak of going; so, unless some
thing particular happens, I shall not go at present.
Is n't it singular that black people do not take
the fever? Some yellow ones have had it; but
not one black. The poor refugees die with it on
short notice. Those all-suffering people have had
more than their share, — measles, small-pox,
worms, and now fever; not many will be left to

1 5 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

tell the tale of suffering by the time winter is over.
What can the poor things do, so broken now, in
their crowded tents, — God help them !

October 2, 1864.

What do you think the New Berne paper of yes
terday says ? " Some people for some reason are
trying to get up a panic, saying we have some
infectious disease here, which is perfectly false;
typhoid and swamp fevers are prevalent, but to no
alarming extent, and there is no epidemic pre
vailing." Is it not a shame to publish such lies?
Friday and yesterday each there were twenty-five
burials, all of yellow fever. Whole families are
found dead in their houses; four were found
yesterday, the wife lying across the feet of her
dead husband, and both children dead beside them ;
and with this knowledge, to say such lies ! I hope
to come home this fall, but that will depend on
how long this sickness lasts. When the fighting
commences at Wilmington, I suppose I can't come ;
and, if it is late, the long sail in these vile tempests
is rather an objection.

MOREHEAD CITY, October 5, 1864.
The news from New Berne grows worse each
day, and sick men are continually being brought
here; but I have not time to look after those in

Adventures of an Army Nurse 153

my ward now ; Dr. Bellangee claims me first and
all.

Dr. Hand wrote yesterday : " The fever grows
worse ; God only can help us. I 'm dreadfully
blue and exhausted, I can scarcely get upstairs
to bed after my work is done." He is medical
director of this department, and so far the only
surgeon who has escaped ; but they say he is worn
to a skeleton. After Friday, this port is closed
to all except gunboats. There is no doubt that
Wilmington is to be attacked; so now God only
knows when I shall get home. The quarantine
is twenty days, even for letters, in New York ; so
I fear you will be very anxious about me.

MOREHEAD CITY, October 14, 1864.

I don't know how I can tell you the mournful
news of our dear friend's [Dr. Bellangee's] death.
My last letter was hopeful of his recovery ; but an
hour after it had gone he was taken worse and
suffered more than I am sure any poor mortal
deserved. I can hardly remember the particulars
now, it was so pitiful to us all. He suffered con
stantly, notwithstanding quantities of chloroform,
till three in the morning, when he died ; his screams
will never be forgotten.

Last night another very sick patient was brought
to me, — a Mrs. N., mother of Mrs. Colonel A. of

154 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Boston. The Colonel and she have both died this
week, and no one would take in or keep this poor
old woman, who has the fever; so Doctor [Palmer]
and I concluded we must. I dread another such
trial, of course; but what can one do when all are
suffering so? I also have a sick doctor from New
Berne Hospital, so I can only keep on working
until God sends us frost.

Our hospital is full of sick, though so far only
those are taken who have been brought from New
Berne ; no case has originated here. In Beaufort it
is different; there the fever appeared of itself, the
first victims being Colonel A. and his wife. I have
had, besides all this nursing, to pack everything for
Mrs. Bellangee, think for her, and take charge of
the House; and now I am at the station with her
waiting for the ship to sail that will take her from
this sorrowful place. She is so disappointed that
I will not go North with her ; but I see clearly my
duty is here. I could not leave Dr. Palmer now in
his trial.

This is the first time I have sat down to-day,
and with no sleep last night I feel drowsy and
stupid enough; but I would not let the ship sail
without these few words. I know you think of me
often now ; but don't feel anxious. I am perfectly
well with the exception of being tired, and am
really glad to be where I can make comfort to so

Adventures of an Army Nurse 155

many. I can't tell you how grateful I felt when
the rumor went out that I, too, was to leave to
day. The boys all came to me with : " Mrs. O.,
don't leave us, you are all we have now; what
can we do without you? " and their gladness when
I told them I would stay ! Dr. Palmer just kissed
my hands and went away. I am real egotistical, I
know; but I can't help it; I am a little weaker
than usual from being over-tired.

This " little weakness " developed quickly into
yellow fever, of which she had an extremely
serious case. When sufficiently convalescent to
bear the journey, she was taken North to the
frosts and healing air of Lexington.

CHAPTER VII

RETURNING to Morehead City in Decem
ber, 1864, Mrs. von Olnhausen remained
there until early in the following April,
when she was transferred, first to Beaufort and
afterwards to Smithville, North Carolina. Dur
ing this period the war came to an end through
the surrender of Lee, and President Lincoln
was assassinated. The demoralization inseparable
from the ending of a great war made itself plainly
felt in the hospitals; and the disorganization of
these last months was almost as great as that of
her first experience, at Alexandria. Remaining
with the hospital at Smithville as long as there
was any need for her services, she at last received
her discharge in the closing days of August, 1865.
Laden with birds, animals, curios, and kindred
" traps," and accompanied by a " Contraband "
man-servant, she returned in the late summer to
the welcome of her Lexington homes.

MOREHEAD CITY, Sunday, December n, 1864.

Back once more in my own room, so much bluer
than I expected to be. I half determined not to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 57

write at all, I felt so homesick. I arrived here
yesterday morning, after being a whole week on
my journey, thoroughly tired, for it was such a
roundabout way to come. Most of the time we
had bad weather and not a soul for company; so
it made the time seem even longer.

I left New York Monday, and had the usual
tiresome ride to Baltimore; but the cars were
detained, so the boat had already left for Fortress
Monroe, and I must wait till the next day. I went
to Barnum's, and the first stupid thing I did was
when the clerk asked me my name. I could not,
for a moment, remember it at all; he stared sus
piciously at me, till at last I told him. I also said
I wanted the valise and largest trunk sent to my
room. When they were brought up I found the
trunk had been opened, and the blankets taken off.
I asked why, and the porter said it was too hard
to carry with them on; but afterwards, when I
came to open the trunk, I found the reason. I sup
pose, from my hesitation and having so much
luggage, they took me for a " torpedo woman " or
some kind of a fire-critter; and I did not blame
them, I was so stupid.

I had a nice walk round town next day, and
at four we left. The boat was crowded and my
berth was right over the engine, so it was pretty
warm; but a shower came in the night and gave

158 Adventures of an Army Nurse

me a wetting, through the skylight, which cooled
me off. We arrived about seven in the morning
at the Fortress, and found there were no outside
boats for two or three days; so I took the canal.
It rained so I could not go about at all, excepting
to the Provost's and Quartermaster's; and at ten
we left for Norfolk. In two hours we were there
and had to fly round to get transportation, as the
boat was ready to start. It still rained, and I was
by this time pretty uncomfortable, as you may
believe. In fact, I never before started from home
so badly prepared for a journey; I had nothing
comfortable. You know I had no change of any
thing. The boat was a dirty little affair, and I
was so glad I had enough of my own to eat.

That night we got nearly to the mouth of the
canal, where we found a gunboat sunk, and a big
boat jammed with her in attempting to pass. It
was fast, and the prospect was rather dismal, as
her own machinery was powerless, owing to the
wheels being fast, and our boat seemed too small
to move her; but they put on steam, bumped at
her for two hours, and at last crowded her out.
Then we changed boats, as there was no room to
turn. She still had to poke the big boat out of the
canal, so it was nearly morning before we started
again.

Dr. Palmer's Lieutenant-Colonel Clark was on

Adventures of an Army Nurse 159

board ; he had just been on a raid into Rebeldom,
had captured all the forces he met, together with
ninety bales of cotton, eight wagons, twenty mules
( he had to shoot those, for he had no room to bring
them back) ; had burned a great quantity of stores,
and had pitched a hundred sacks of salt into the
river. He had to work in a hurry, for there was
a large force in reserve, and every moment he was
expecting them. His force was very small, — only
two or three hundred in all; and just as they
were off the Rebels came in sight. He was most
proud of his success, and well he might be; every
one here praises him.

When we reached Roanoke, we found everybody
in great excitement there. All the soldiers had
been taken away, and most of the gunboats ; also
the regular boat to New Berne. So again we had
to wait till two that night before the mail-boat
came down to take us. I wandered about the
island alone, and poked into many shebangs. One
woman was just eating dinner, and invited me to
partake. I was cold and hungry after the walk;
and although the tablecloth was a salt sack, and
dirty at that, and the fork had but one prong, and
she had only corn bread and biled pork and greens,
I laid aside fastidiousness and sat with her. The
coffee really did taste good, though the sugar
looked dubious and there was no milk. But it was

160 Adventures of an Army Nurse

wet and warm, washed the grub down, and made
the old lady happy, because I was a Northerner
and not proud. She was very strong Union, had
suffered all that one can, was seventy-four years
old, and had not one cent left in the world. Her
clothes she buried before she left, and was next
day going back to Plymouth to try to find them.
She was very well known there, and liked; and
when the town was being taken two officers, know
ing her, and how much she would suffer if left,
took her and ran down to the boat, she being the
last to escape. One of the officers was captured.
The run nearly killed the old lady, she said. With
the fright and hurry, her breath was clean gone,
and she fell down helpless. She " likes us Yanks
enough."

It was a real cold day, but I kept walking; it
was better than staying in the lonely boat with
nobody but two " China'ry " girls to stare at one.
I went back at sundown, and the old lady was
so anxious for fear I should miss the way (as if
one could in that little, one-horse town) that she
went to the boat with me. I was sorry, afterwards,
that I did not take her on board and give her some
clothes ; she would have been so glad. I gave her
some money and she was very grateful.

The Sound was rough, and everybody was sick,
and there were no berths on board. The benches,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 6 1

of course, were as hard as boards could make them.
In fact, the last bed I slept on till I got here was at
Baltimore. The night before I passed on the nar
rowest kind of a seat, all " booted and spurr'd," and
the consciousness of a tumble never left me.

MOREHEAD CITY, December 25 [1864].

I should feel " meaner than pusley " for not
having written if I had not a tip-top excuse. I
never did accomplish so much, I think, in one
week before. Tuesday brought your letter, also
the box; but then I was too deep in Christmas
preparations to think of anything else. You know
we have never been paid yet. The black women
were perfectly destitute, they really had nothing
to wear, — and such unmitigated growling. So
Doctor said I had better take some bed-ticks and
give them dresses; also some coarse undercloth
ing. The Sanitary, furthermore, had given me,
a long time ago, some bed-sacks of lapping. I
knew it was no use to give them anything unmade,
as they would botch it so; so I commenced and,
more than that, executed the gigantic undertaking
of making the clothing all up. Now that was a
work. I sewed literally night and day. Friday
I was in despair, and made a sewing-bee; called
all the neighbors in, and so by night got nearly
done.

it

1 62 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Besides working for the nigs, I had all those
refugee things to fix up and arrange. It took
some judgment to parcel them out; but every
thing was done by last night. Moreover, the box
came yesterday, just in time to distribute.

Our harbor has been full of the fleet. It was
splendid : sixty ships and eight monitors. They
sailed out Friday and Saturday week for Wilming
ton. Doctor took us down to see them, and we
went on board the double-turreted monitor, the
Monadnock. How I wish you could have seen it!
I don't see how anything could hurt her ; — four
feet of wood, and seven inches of wrought iron,
and such turrets, and such guns ! The shells were
fifteen inches and they carried five miles, sure.
Well, they all sailed out and we expected, Sunday,
to hear the attack, for though it 's ninety miles
we can hear them; but no guns came.

Tuesday the transports, with General Butler's
whole force, commenced coming in for coal and
water; they had been lying off Wilmington six
teen days, on half rations, expecting the fleet. Of
course there was somebody wrong, as usual. The
men were suffering terribly, crowded into the
ships, expecting to be only five days and not
allowed to bring even a change of clothes, not a
knapsack even; all was to be sent after them.
They had waited, as I say, sixteen days, and many

Adventures of an Army Nurse 163

were sick. Then we had an awful storm and the
coldest weather I 've ever known here ; so many
of them were frostbitten. The ships were brought
to the wharf, one by one, and the men allowed to
land while the ships were cleaned. They were like
wild men, and no one could blame them. Our
hospital was full of them, wanting everything, —
officers and men alike; for the little that was to
be bought in these stores was sold at once.

The day of my " bee " I was sitting here with
a room full of women, when who should come in
but Dr. Barnes (medical inspector of the whole
troops here) ; I was so glad to see him, and he
seemed pleased, too. He stayed to tea, and was
too glad to get something to eat; for they had
had nothing but salt pork and hard tack for many
days. He said it was the first " square " meal he 'd
eaten for a long while. He appealed to the benev
olent ladies of Lexington, said he remembered
them, and claimed their charity; for he was both
lousy and dirty, and did not even blush to own it.
He left that for General Butler to do, who got
them into that condition. I had nothing for him
but a clean handkerchief; but Dr. Palmer gave
me a suit of " Sanitary " for him, and he went
away rejoicing.

They sailed yesterday afternoon, so are now
fighting. We hear the guns all day very plainly;

1 64 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the firing is continuous. The news has come that
Fort Fisher has surrendered, and the troops are
landing. I suppose by this you will have heard of
the trick played on them of the ship being chased,
rigged like an English vessel, loaded with powder.
Friday night it was accomplished; we felt and
heard the report here; it must have been terrible
there. Every one started from sleep; the report
is that it shattered the town awfully.1 We are all
so anxious here to know the result of to-day's
fighting. It would be a nice Christmas gift to
the Nation when we could gain that Secesh place.2

Monday [December 26].

I was stopped yesterday, for Kitty P. came for
me to go sailing ; and then in the evening we went
to the negro meeting, where we laughed our fill.
How I wish you could go to a real nig meeting
and hear them exhort. One man kept asking if
we did not hear the " strumpets of de Lord a-
calling and a-calling : ' I hears the strumpets all
round me, Bress de Lord forever.' ' Then he
" prayed de Lord to fire up his coal ; " I guess he
is a fireman. To-day I 'm having a grand row
with the nigs. They got so stupid and behind
hand I 've sent two off, and the work drags.

1 As a matter of fact, it was a complete failure.

2 The Union forces were repelled at Fort Fisher on December
25, 1864, but took the fort by assault on January 15, 1865.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 165

MOREHEAD CITY, January, 1865.

They say the paymaster comes to-morrow, and
will pay us four months if we will sign four
months' rolls; but all declare they won't. It will
soon now be twelve months' pay due us. Is n't it
real mean ? It is so in no other department. Some
of the men have such pitiful letters from their
families, wanting everything and blaming them,
saying that other women must get their money.
I see a good many swollen faces after the mail
comes in; and some of the letters make me cry,
too. There is certainly money somewhere. Some
lay it to the paymaster, who is speculating in the
coupons, and some charge poor Butler with the
whole sin.

MOREHEAD CITY, Thursday, January [? 19], 1865.

Happy ! Two hundred wounded and I the only
wound-dresser in the ward; they are just arriving.
I shall have all I can do now, and the best kind,
too! Send me a box of all you know I want for
wounded men, especially rags and long bandages.

MOREHEAD CITY, Sunday, January [?29], 1865.

I have forty-four beds. I have taken the ward
just back of the carriage house, Ward 6. It is
right clean, one of the best of the lot, and I have
such good attendants and have everything about
my own way. Dr. Palmer has much more faith

1 66 Adventures of an Army Nurse

in me, of course, than I deserve; but I can't help
seeing myself that there never was a ward of badly
wounded men doing so well as these; he can't say
enough about it. I am sure of one thing, that I
have lost nothing in being down here; my judg
ment is clearer, and my nerves are steadier than
ever.

How I wished to-day after I was ready for in
spection that you could have looked in and seen us
all, — the men so jolly and clean and comfortable.
They look to me for everything. Doctor has so
much to attend to that he really leaves more to
me than he ought ; so they think I 'm supreme.
Sometimes he does n't come in all day, unless I
send for him.

How you would like one old Englishman I have ;
his arm is amputated at the elbow, and such a job
never was done before. It is meant for a flap,
and I guess they took the whole meat down to the
hand and just rolled it up and sewed it there. He
is so enthusiastic about the battle. It was a splen
did charge, taking that fort [Fisher] ; the men
were glorious. He was not wounded until just
as they were entering; he had just got upon the
parapet. His Captain ran up to him; he said:
" Never mind, Captain, this is worth an arm,
we 've beat 'em. If we had gone back as we did
before, I would have wished it was my life. I '11

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 67

pull through it;" and he has, sure enough. One
of my men has been wounded in six different
battles ; such a banged-up fellow you never saw.
Now he has a bullet through the wrist and one
through the side; he is very sick, but is so brave
about it. I like to take care of such men.

At first I had some Rebels in my ward; but
I made the doctor take them out and fill the
ward up with Union. The Rebels make me so
mad, and are so presuming, too. It was always
"Madam, will you look at my wound?" Now
I did n't want to see their wounds, unless they
were going to die from them. You can't tell how
wicked that book 1 has made me toward them. I
can't be good, and it makes me furious to see them
treated just as well as our men. The only way I
could spite them was to give them one less blanket
than ours had. One little boy I keep ; he declared
before all the Rebels that he and all his family
were always Union, that he never wanted to fight,
was a conscript and was glad to get away from
them. He said : " I know if they get me again I
shall catch it for saying this, but I '11 never go
back to them, I 'd rather die here." When we
were having the others moved, he begged me not
to send him with them. " I shall die sure if I
leave you, Mrs. Woe" (that is a hard name).

1 There is no other reference to show what "book" is meant.

1 68 Adventures of an Army Nurse

But my most interesting patient is a man who
has had resection of the larger bone of the left
arm. He is such a splendid fellow. He has the
rheumatism in both legs, so he can't move them,
and ought to be cross as a bear; but instead of
that just looks like a saint. He is married, and I
have to write his letters, and he dictates so love-
lily. By the way, there never was a prettier room
than mine. It is too lovely (I mean for down
here). My decorations are so jolly, and my dog
barks all night, and altogether I have a nice life,
and if we only could have warm weather my cup
would be quite full.

I must tell you about the war between our two
chaplains. It is too funny. B., the old man, is
a presidential chaplain, he says; the other, L., is
some side branch. I don't understand how he
comes in; but they are so jealous of each other.
First one orders the house closed when the other
is going to preach, and then the other retaliates;
so between them we get no preaching. Last Sun
day night B. ordered the fire and the lights put
out. L. pitched into him and then complained to
Dr. Palmer. Old man denied his guilt; so Dr.
Palmer ordered them both before him at eleven
next day. Each refused to meet the other; but
Doctor told them unless they obeyed he would
order them under arrest. So they came, sword

Adventures of an Army Nurse 169

in hand. Doctor could not get in even a side cut.
At last he got the floor for a moment, and then
he told them he never had too much faith in Chris
tian doings, etc., but now what little he had was
destroyed. " He was about sick now of any chap
lain, and unless they stopped immediately he would
report them both at Washington. It was a dis
grace, etc." He ran them hard for an hour, until
both promised to do better in future.

Next day a man was to be buried. B. waited
at the office gate to join the escort, instead of going
to the dead house. L. got the start of him, was
on the spot, and came along booted and spurred.
B. flew out, ordered him off, etc. L., having the
fear of the law, meekly, but with black looks, dis
mounted and proceeded, with the help of another
man, to boost old B. on ; then the stirrups were too
long, so they must be fixed. All this time the
dead man and escort were waiting. Finally, when
all was adjusted, the cortege started ; and then B.
found riding was not so easy as it looked, and
wobbled about in the saddle till he nearly rolled
off. One of the bearers came to his help, led the
beast, and held the rider stiff. So at last the pro
cession passed out of sight. I thought we must
die laughing. B. was " poorly " and quite lame
for two or three days after that ride.

Yesterday L.'s removal came, so B. is bigger

1 70 Adventures of an Army Nurse

than a gobbler to-day, talks about his stupendous
duties, etc.; but when the bugle sounded for
church the poor old thing's ears didn't do their
duty, and his watch had been forgotten to be
wound; so when the people had sat for half an
hour, they went home. When nearly an hour had
passed, he scrambled off himself to church and
found it empty; he waited another hour before
he knew he was too late. This was a poor begin
ning to his " stupendous duties."

MOREHEAD CITY, February 7, 1865.

I cannot mention anything in the box that I
do not particularly want, especially the eatables
(which you will believe). I wish you could have
looked in and seen us after we had dragged out
the last parcel and were resting from our work.
We all sat on the floor and commenced eating.
Doctor would taste of everything, and how we
did eat! We had to open just a bottle of that
currant wine; it was so good, and we felt pretty
tired, if we were not sick. After all, we could not
decide which cake was best, or whether the cake
was better than the cheese, or the pie best of all;
and you will no doubt be disgusted to know that
we ate a whole one between us.

Monday evening I gave a little feast in my
room, had the Palmers and some others, and

Adventures of an Army Nurse 171

myself. I made chocolate, and Mrs. Palmer made
some hot biscuits. You can't know how they
tasted with the butter; every one agreed in de
claring they never tasted anything like them.
C. had two chickens roasted and shot six robins.
I never saw people enjoy a supper so much;
one must live down here and as we do to know
that. We had the supper in C.'s room; he took
out his bed, and the table looked splendid. We
had celery, too; and the pies and cake and olives
and cheese and pickles could n't be beat, — but,
oh, that bread and butter! After supper we
played euchre and whist till quite late; so you
see it was a real Northern affair, and ought to
have been noticed in the papers.

My refugee treasures are priceless. I am
packing such a nice box to send down to the
light-house ; everything pretty I 've reserved for
my little Caledonia Royal, the keeper's youngest
daughter, and the little half-witted girl, Mary
Francis G. I 've sent Mary Francis warm clothes
and some of the playthings. I sent the ball to her
little brother. He is a nice little boy, about three,
but smokes all the time. Mrs. G. says it costs her
more than a dollar a week to keep her and the
children in tobacco. Send on your missionaries!

My ward is really doing splendidly. I have
lost only one man, and that was inevitable ; nothing

1 72 Adventures of an Army Nurse

could have saved him ; his whole spine was affected
by a grape shot. All the amputations are nearly
healed. These barracks are so good on account
of ventilation. They have been rather cold, but
I guess our worst cold is over, and there is no
more smell of wounds than if I had none, though
there are forty-four, and almost all bad cases.
We have had any quantity of inspectors, directors,
etc. ; all are so pleased with our hospital. Orders
have come to-day to extend its capacity to six
hundred, immediately, by tents; so to-morrow
they will commence putting them up. This looks
like work in North Carolina; and the constant
arrival of troops makes it so animated here.
Twelve hundred of the Constructing Corps ar
rived Sunday, and are camped close to us, — pon
toons, and mules (400) that roar all the time.
We have to keep a guard all around the grounds
to prevent the rascals from stealing everything.
I expect to have all the work I want; for the
care of the wash-room is no light duty, with so
many clothes to look after. I expect never to have
a minute when we get full.

February 9, 1865.

C. and Doctor have been off the past two days,
trying to find a place to pitch our tents, as it
is decreed that we are really to leave here and
tent it somewhere. They have about decided on

Adventures of an Army Nurse 173

a place a mile out of Beaufort. How I do hate
it ! Had it been the beach [on Shackelford Island,
where the summer camp had been], I 'd have been
satisfied, though the impossibility of transportation
made that useless to think of ; but Beaufort is such
a fleay, dirty-smelling hole, and full of Secesh and
rum-holes, and gambling of all kinds going on
there, the whole thing will become demoralized
like that Beaufort hospital. Doctor looks anxious,
and I am worn enough. As we lived last summer
with every convenience, tent life was jolly. We
were perfectly isolated and so independent; but
it is another matter to live in a crowd, as we shall
there; it is like living on the housetops.

The outrage of turning us out seems greater
every day, and the spite of it is too much. To
think that to-day a surgeon of a nig regiment
has come in and taken one of our barracks (mine
that I moved my wounded men from) and filled
it up with his sick men ; and yet they say they must
have them for military purposes, when we could
have and should have taken the same men if we
had stayed. I can't see the difference or the
justice.

I had a letter from one of my wounded men at
New Berne, and he put on the direction "not to be
pronounced like the numeral, but literally o n e."
It seems they have to dress each other's wounds

174 Adventures of an Army Nurse

now. You will be glad that they had not to sleep
on the ground, as we first heard ; the sick really
did, but this academy is a wounded ward and kept
alone for that, and they had no wounds, so it was
fortunately empty.

Perhaps you will be glad to know, too, that
Dr. Hand, medical director, sent me word by
Dr. Palmer that his nine surgeons, after exam
ining those wounds, said they had never seen
wounds so well dressed and such bad wounds so
soon getting well; and, for himself, that I was
the best wound-dresser in the country. I feel
uncommonly satisfied, as these men a year ago
were all opposed to female nurses and " poohed "
at the idea of one being useful. It is rumored to
day that Longstreet is at Goldsboro' with fifteen
thousand men; if so, we must soon have more
wounded, as twenty thousand have left New Berne
these last few days. They have not even a provost-
guard left there; all are taken to the front.

How I shall mourn for my dear little room ; it
looks so friendly to-night. You 'd die with the
traps, but they are such treasures to me, and each
has its story. My owl looks down with approving
eyes as I write. My crow almost caws, and my
furniture is all so jolly, if it is pine boards cov
ered with an old dress.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 175

MOREHEAD CITY, February 18 [1865].

I want to tell you of the arrival of the box,
which came last night, much to my joy and the
comfort of my patients. Rags had become so
scarce I was picking up the bits blowing about the
land. I never was in such straits before. The
Sanitary Department had not even one of their
old bandages to spare me. No delicacies ever
looked so good to me as those rags.

We are terribly excited here just now; they
threaten to break up the hospital and turn us all
over to Beaufort. How mad we shall be to go to
those dirty traps; but Sherman's Commissary
General is here, this is to be the supply base, he
has already taken possession of most all the pri
vate buildings outside the grounds, and now wants
these. Won't it be too bad to have such desecra
tion ? However, I Ve hopes it will take more than
the General of New Berne to do it.

My wounded men are doing splendidly. So far
we have lost only one, which is surprising, for
I never saw worse wounds; but I guess it did us
all good not to have any wounds for so long; we
take all the better care of them now. A good many
Rebs have died, for they are in bad condition every
way; and then I never have done any of them,
except the two in my ward, — the little boy with
out the arm and the carotid-artery man. These

1 76 Adventures of an Army Nurse

two everybody said must die, so I thought I 'd
make them live. It 's the little one who calls me
Mrs. Woe; the old Englishman calls me Mrs.
Hoe; the man without the foot, Roe; and the
man with the arm, Mrs. No; as to all the other
names, I can't tell them; everything which has
an O in it seems to fit. They are a grateful set
of boys as ever lived, and I feel never tired of
doing for them. In fact, we all have to spring"
night and day almost; we never had so much
before. I wish I could get rid of the old laundry ;
but the fear of some disagreeable old cat makes
me rather do it myself. I mean some day, though,
to take a little walk; it's long now since I've been
out of the gate.

MOREHEAD CITY, March i [1865].

I did not write Sunday, and how could I ? Such
discouraging news as we got that day. I just
could do nothing after Doctor came and said our
hospital was to be broken up. Is it not too bad?
Every day since, the news has been fluctuating:
now it is to be broken up altogether, — now trans
ferred to Beaufort, — to New Berne, and the last
news to-day is that it is to be transferred bodily
to Smithville (or field), opposite Fort Fisher, on
the seashore. Now this may all, or part, or none,
be true; but still we are in an exercised state of
mind, to say the least. We were just all so satis-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 77

fied and don't want any change, and everything
is going on so well. I never in all my hospital
life was so nearly happy; everything and every
body is just right. I suppose you are tired to
death of my wounded, but how can I ever tire of
them ? I never saw such wonderful results before.
We have not lost a man, though we had such
terrible cases; and when I look around and see
them all so cheerful and grateful, I am glad I
am strong enough to be an army nurse. I
expect you will think I am the greatest egotist
in the world; but how can I help being a little
exultant ?

We have all sorts of visitors. — Dear me, one
more telegram has just come that we are to move
at once, to-morrow morning; everything must be
moved, everything packed, the Commissary takes
possession at once. We are ordered to New Berne.
How I do hate it, there of all places; I can't tell
you how I feel. What disposition they will make
of me I don't know; if possible, I shall stick to
Doctor.

MOREHEAD CITY, March 5 [1865].

The final telegram came, and we were to leave
for New Berne Thursday morning at eight o'clock ;
cars were to be punctual, and every patient must
be at once transferred to Foster Hospital. I was
up at four o'clock; and by eight had every ward

12

178 Adventures of an Army Nurse

dressed and ready, and those who were to be re
moved on beds made comfortable for the journey.
I rushed to my room, not even waiting for my
breakfast, to make myself ready to accompany
them; for I was to go and remain over night, at
least, to see that they were made comfortable.
All the while the packing was going on, — all
beds were returned to the store-room; all linen
sent to the wash-room; all medicines packed and
stored: such were the orders. It was confusion
of the worst sort, such hurrying about, such
anxious waiting.

So we waited and waited till four ; when a tele
gram came that the patients were not to be sent
till the next morning. Now see again the con
fusion! The medical director arrived, beds were
again unpacked, fresh linen issued, supper pre
pared, and, although no one wanted to leave,
wretchedness and tiredness were on every face.
You know how hard it is to wait. Some that had
not been out of bed before, excepting long enough
to have it made, had been all day sitting up and
were fairly sick by the time I could get them in
bed. That evening, Dr. M., the medical director,
said he thought, after all, the worst sick and all
the wounded would, for a time at least, be left;
so I went right down and told the men; you
can't know how glad they were.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 79

Next morning I went in to dress them, when
Dr. Palmer came and asked me how many it would
be safe to take. I told him of Dr. M.'s promise;
he said they had another telegram ordering all that
could travel to come at once. He took all but
twelve with him ; so short a notice that I had not
time to dress half their wounds. Then, when
packed in the cars, they lay there four hours with
out dinner before they were finally taken to New
Berne. Again the ward was all torn up, as that
one, being more isolated, was wanted for the
Quartermasters ; so I took Division 2, and worked
all day to get it in order; still Doctor made me
hold on.

Yesterday (Saturday) I had everything ready,
but a big rain came up; and to-day it is too cold
to move them; so they still lie in the old, dis
mantled ward.

Meantime I am more than discouraged; I am
utterly disgusted with the selfishness of these men.
Was ever such an outrage on our soldiers? The
wards that have been emptied of our poor sick and
wounded fellows were immediately filled with the
dirtiest niggers you ever laid eyes on, — not even
employees of the army, but hangers-on and fol
lowers from the Tennessee and Sherman's army;
such dirt and filth cannot be equalled. The third
ward is filled with ox-bows, tent poles, and wagon

i 80 Adventures of an Army Nurse

tires, — hundreds of old traps. Not a white man
or even a black soldier brought in; the whole is
for spite. The Quartermasters and Commissary
saw with envious eyes the front row of buildings,
all houses built before the war, and claimed them
as quarters for themselves. Of course the doctor
refused ; then they set to work to take everything,
wrote to General Schofield that they were all needed
for military purposes, and wanted his order at
once. He, knowing nothing of the truth, sent it,
and now we have been staving them off just to
get time till he comes, which he was expected to
do to-day to see for himself and decide for us.
Meantime, when the hundred and fifty who were
sent from here arrived in New Berne, four hundred
men had already arrived from different regiments,
and only provision made for our lot; they com
ing last, the* most of them had to lie round in
churches and anywhere they could settle, most of
them without even blankets. If this is justice, I
hate it forevermore.

Dr. Palmer went to New Berne last night to
return to-day; but instead of him comes a tele
gram to be ready to store seventy hospital tents.
Now, whether this means breaking up here or
extending this one, we can none of us guess till
he comes back in the morning. Such a state of
uncertainty as we are in is decidedly unpleasant.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 8 1

The town is full of troops, and the hubbub outside
is worse than in. These officers keep coming to
the houses and saying, " When will this be
vacated?" so arrogantly. They stand before our
doors and say what they intend to do when they
get the quarters. If they are remonstrated with,
they fall back on " We 're from Sherman's army,"
as if that could cover all enormities. I am getting
about sick of Sherman's army, if this is the way
we are to be treated by them.

My men are all ill to-day ; the news from their
comrades and expectation of being served in the
same way are enough to make them so. One of
them died last night ; we had never thought of his
dying from his wound, but the excitement of
Thursday and thinking he had got to leave his
doctor and nurse were too much for him. They
all cried so much that morning, and two men who
were taken away on stretchers went weeping like
children ; think now what a trial for me, and of my
anxiety about them ! Two more I have very little
hope of ; they have both failed so these two days,
and my carotid-artery man, that I was so bound
should live, grows worse every hour. I was in
hopes he would live, though he was a Rebel, for
Doctor's sake ; and I am sure he would, except for
this ; but he was foolish enough to believe that no
one could save him but me, and he cries about all

182 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the time. He does n't give his old answer to my
morning greeting, " I 'm right piert, madam " any
longer; just his lips tremble, and he says, " I 'm
bad off, I am losing courage." I hate to be in the
ward now, but still I do my best to cheer them up.

In the interval between this and the following
letter the transfer from Morehead to Beaufort
evidently was made.

BEAUFORT, N. C., April 9, 1865.

As I am going to write a real growling note,
I, of course, don't expect it to be read except in
private circles; but this has been such a real
Pandemonium this first week that I must " speak
in meeting." I told you last Sunday that our
dear doctor [Palmer] had left for Goldsboro' for
an indefinite time, leaving us in charge of a
drunken, ignorant, bad man without a particle
of principle or judgment. Well, to begin with,
Monday he did not rise till twelve o'clock; not
another surgeon on the grounds and so many
sick patients. I felt equal to the wounds; but
still, as I had two cases of hemorrhage, it would
be rather satisfactory to have a surgeon one could
speak to.

Well, I never had a surgeon in my ward of
fifty patients till Thursday, when Dr. Salter,
post-surgeon, — and such a good man, — came

Adventures of an Army Nurse 183

to the rescue. I met him and told him how it
was; as he is a great friend of Dr. Palmer's,
he quickly volunteered to tend the wounded for
a few days. He was needed by that time, as
I 'd given all the medicine I had in the ward,
and, of course, could not make a prescription.
So far, good. In the mean time C. [attendant]
has been very sick, not so bad as last spring, but
sick enough to need constant care. He pulled
through without a doctor; I knew what to do for
him.

I told you a telegram had come that we were
to take five hundred patients; they never got
here till to-night; God help the poor souls now.
They came cold and hungry. C. went to the
doctor and said, " These men must have some
thing to eat when they land, they have been
short of rations all this time;" and he answered,
" Damn it, a man can live a week without eat
ing." But C. did, for all that, have a good hot
supper for them. Only a hundred have landed;
the wind blows so they could not get them on
the lighters. The boat lies in the stream two
miles off.

But this is not the worst; there are a hundred
and fifty without a bed or blanket to sleep on,
and, what is more, no prospect of one. You see
what they have to expect, — those other four

184 Adventures of an Army Nurse

hundred who have been lying seasick and heart
sick and hungry on the swash for two or three
days. Isn't it damnable? The churches were
ordered to be taken for them, but no other pro
vision has been made. Whether it is the fault
of medical purveyor or director I can't say; but
certain it is there is no one here to make an
effort. You can't know our loss in Dr. Palmer;
had he been here, all would have been right.
There are seventy tents pitched with only the
sand to lie on. If we had one blanket apiece, it
might do; but we have not one. I have cried
and stormed and raved till now I have come to
my room and won't even hear a sound. I say,
God help them; and the drunken wretch has
throughout behaved like an imbecile. I hope he
will get his reward when the war is over.

Positively this week has been worse than any
Alexandria doings. I could not begin to tell you
all the annoyances, but will give one little item :
though we had so good cause for rejoicing [over
Lee's surrender], still, with so many sick men, it
was no time to illuminate the hospital, especially
this one, which in case of fire has only one nar
row stairway, and has, in the third story, over
a hundred patients; but between him and C. it
must be done. Just as the lights were in full
blaze, one poor fellow went to heaven; he looked

Adventures of an Army Nurse 185

up so scared and then lay back dead. Another
one died before morning.

After the lights were out, the doctor, with the
crowd generally who had collected around the
hospital, composed of artisans, navy officers, nig
gers who were impressed with a guard to be made
to sing, and all nicely drunk, started on a lark.
They went all over town, screaming and shout
ing, came back to the hospital about twelve, woke
up all the patients, then went to Mrs. Palmer's,
who was alone with K., and scared her out of
her life, came back at one again, and had another
row. Finally the officer of the day came and told
them he knew his duty and would perform it.
They were for fighting him; but some one was
wise enough to advise them to go home; so at
last we had peace.

I don't know how late it was when he arose.
I did not see him till morning, when he borrowed
my key to the store-room. I sent it by the boy;
and when I went for it, he had given it to C.
with orders not to let me have it again. My own
key ! I 'went right to C. and took it from him.
I told him not to dare to refuse it. Of course
he gave it up, for he knew what Dr. Palmer
would say; but he wanted so much to keep it.
I should like to see any one get it again but
Dr. Palmer.

1 86 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Now comes the news, through him, that Doctor
is not coming back and that we are to have a new
surgeon-in-charge. I am in despair. The im
pression is that Dr. Palmer is to have a hospi
tal at Wilmington, where he is now. If he is
not to return, you will have the pleasure of soon
seeing me at home, for my experience with Dr.
M. has quite sickened me of hospitals. I have
had such good surgeons since the first, and have
been always so respected that it is hard now to
get a bad one.

Now you know I am an old grumbler and are
disgusted with me; but I have not told you nearly
all; enough, however, to let you see how hateful
this week has been.

Did I tell you about General Meigs coming
here to see me, and how polite he was? Well,
he did. Miss Dix, his partner and friend, had
recommended me so highly, and he saw our need
of a bathroom and of various other things. After
he had written the order for these, he turned to
me and said : " Madam, they have to thank you
for anything that is done for this hospital. Miss
Dix's high recommendation of you alone brought
me here; tell me if there is anything else I can
do for you." Think of a live General, with stars
and all, saying that to me! I bet I felt proud!

Adventures of an Army Nurse 187

BEAUFORT, April 21, Sunday ("I guess").

I would rather be in bed to-night than writing
letters, for I am cold as ice and so tired; it has
been a miserable kind of day; it took so long to
get through my wards, and then I have so many
little things to see to. My old habit of playing
off Sunday won't do now; I never get any time,
and after all is done so many want letters writ
ten that I never have a moment in my room. All
my leisure to-day has been spent in packing, for
I don't know what moment Doctor may send for
me. Dr. Palmer, I mean; and I want to be
ready when his summons comes. I am so impa
tient to be off.

He wants all the old hands he can get; he has
a thousand patients by this, and only green hands,
besides C., and W., the chief clerk. I think Dr.
Salter was real good to give them up, but he is
such a true friend to the doctor. God knows
what would have become of us during the M.
reign if he had not come to help us out. I shall
sometime tell you all about that terrible time. I
feel too indignant now to talk about it, but I 'm
more down on whiskey than ever.

This has been a long week, though I have had
so much to do. They have at last fitted up my
linen room, and we had a large requisition of
clothes come, and I have just made order there.

1 88 Adventures of an Army Nurse

It is a job to lift and pack this heavy linen, but
it pays; for on inspection they all admire the
order there. We got a splendid woman in charge
of the low diet, a Mrs. Bickerdyke.1 She began
with the war, knows all about cooking, and can
cook forty things at once. I never saw such a
worker; she stirs round the cook-house with a
big meat fork or ladle upraised, and looks as if
she would annihilate them all; but there is no
more pilfering; the sick men get all their dues
while she is around. Yesterday one of the cooks
stole a custard pudding, and, though she had a
dozen others, she missed it at once, and stormed
around till she found it. Then she turned on
him; when he said he laid it aside for a sick
officer, he " got it," - first for the lie and then
for the steal. She knows all the celebrities, had
charge of the Western and Southern departments,
*knows Sherman well and Grant too; has many
notes from both. She is the most independent
woman I ever knew; altogether she is a char
acter. Miss Dix likes her very much and urged
her coming here at once. She goes to Smith-
ville as soon as she gets this shebang running
right.

It is so lonely here I could not stand it long,

1 See Mary A. Livermore's "My Story of the War" [Hartford,
1888], p. 476.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 189

especially with the terrible calamity that has be
fallen us [Lincoln's assassination] ; I can think
of nothing else. To-day is the first paper I have
seen with any account of it, one of the I7th.
The only comfort I have, when any calamity
comes, is in remembering Gustav's words: "Now
be sure, my Molly, Heaven helps;" and out of
this may come some great good. The sacrifice
of such a true, good man may be necessary to
show the world how bad the South is; and, then,
he was perhaps too much a Christian gentleman
to deal justly with such men. Oh, dear, when
will the end come and what will it be? I begin
so to long for peace and to be at home.

BEAUFORT, April 30 [1865].

This has been such a long, anxious week, wait
ing for a summons from Dr. Palmer, and every
moment expecting to leave. You see, in anticipa
tion of my leaving soon, they sent all my wounded
men North on Tuesday, and I had not even the
comfort of taking care of them. Lord knows,
though, I have had work enough to do. I have
just had shelves put in the linen room and had
order to make there, besides crowding two weeks'
washing into one, which has been hard work, for
I have not half help enough. With all the nig
gers here, I can't get enough to do the washing.

1 90 Adventures of an Army Nurse

I must be there nearly all my time to keep what
I have at the tubs. For all this I thought the
week would never end. I packed almost every
thing the first of the week, and every day want
something which, of course, lies at the very bot
tom of the trunk.

The guns from the fort in memory of Lincoln
were sad enough; every half hour their solemn
booming came to us, and every one seemed so
impressed by them. There has been some demon
stration in this miserable, dirty little town, a black
rag now and then ; but the show is very scarce.

The town is cram-jam full of returned Secesh,
all swelling about in their uniforms, swaggering
as usual, saying the South is not beaten yet,
it is just unlooked-for circumstances that have
brought her where she is. Would n't you think
they had had enough by this time? There are
rows every day among the returned and our sol
diers. I hate the very sight of them.

I had a time this morning with one of the
women. Once a month she has had a series of
hysteric fits, and the last time they lasted a fort
night, with constant doctoring and some other
of the women always to watch her. I did not
know the trick, and when they came on yesterday,
I began again, till Doctor told me she was really
us well as I; if she had been whipped out of the

Adventures of an Army Nurse 1 9 1

first one, she would never have had a second. So,
when they came this morning saying that Dorcas
was dying, could not speak, etc., I rushed up and,
first thing, gave her ears a rousing slap; then a
real good shaking was administered, accompanied
by a right smart scolding. She soon winked her
eyes (it 's wonderful how long she could hold
them open), and then she began to cry like any
other nigger; so I administered another dose of
each, topped off with a dose (full strength) of
asafcetida, turpentine He, and some other nau
seous pizen mixtures. The girls all stood around
crying, thinking it was too bad. I asked them
what for; they said they could not help taking
on so. If I 'd been big enough and strong enough,
I would have slapped them all; as it was, I shut
them all out of the room and left Miss Dorcas
alone, with orders for no one to approach her
under pain of immediate dismissal from the hos
pital. When I went there at noon, my lady was
up, in full feather, eating a hearty dinner of beans
and pork; so now I understand treating hysteria
as well as wounds.

I have such a funny little man for a page. He
is a Second Massachusetts man, and was in Chat
tanooga, Atlanta, and Nashville, being one of the
July recruits. He is a Russian, and had been
only three days in the country when he enlisted.

192 Adventures of an Army Nurse

He says " he fight for freedom," was probably a
serf (though he says not), and is certainly a Jew.
He is the only Second man we have ever had
here, so I claimed him right off; as he is a tailor,
I had need of him in the linen room. Last week
he got tired of mending, and said : " Lookee here,
I can find work to do, silk dresses make, all lady's
work do; I am woman tailor in mine country.
Can I not make you dress ? " I remembered my
long-talked-of double silk-muslin dress; so gave
him the materials, and my black calico for a pat
tern, locked him in my room, and left him to his
fate. Before the next evening he had everything
completed, and much better than I could have
done, — even trimmed with black silk. I was in
ecstasies, and sent Uncle Massachusetts (my other
old man) up to town to buy me a calico. He
brought me back a flaming pink one, saying he
knew I liked pink, for I always had pink roses in
my waist. That was made in a jiffy. Then I
gave him my old purple calico to cut over, and
so on, until he has repaired and made over every
dress I had. Everything is in complete order for
summer; he can wash and iron those that needed
it ; I never saw such a useful man.

When I am in the room, he amuses me so with
his talk, half German and half broken English,
with now and then a Russian word that makes

Adventures of an Army Nurse 193

me expect to see his head come off, it sounds so
hard. Sometimes he says, " Shall I tell you a
story die Bublee (Bible)?" So he begins to
chatter about Pharaoh and Moses, particularly
Joseph and the other old fellow and that naughty
wife of his. He is so quaint and in earnest that
you can't but be interested; anyway in one week
he has done more than I should in a year. He
lives in Boston, and we will all have him sew for
us when we get home. He says he has a " gal,"
but she is too cross and too old for him, only she
has his four hundred and fifty dollars bounty
money and he must marry her to get it. " Then
I guess I run away." He does n't know anybody
in the regiment, only his captain, Fellen, he calls
him ; I don't know who he is. He was sent back
to the hospital from Alexandria, and his legs are
so short he could only march as far as Goldsboro'
and was again sent back; he is invaluable to me.
I am to take him to Smithville when I go, if I
ever do.

We were mustered to-day, probably for the last
time for most of us. I shall stay until the last
gun fires if there is anything for me to do. Did
I tell you about Mrs. Bickerdyke, who has come
down here from the Western army and is cook
ing for this hospital? She is perfectly splendid.
To be sure, she snubs me and everybody else;

13

i 94 Adventures of an Army Nurse

but, Lord, how she works, and what good things
she makes ; our men are better fed now than they
would be at home, even the best of them. She
has many stores of her own, fruits, etc., but those
are nothing to her cooking of the common food;
she talks bad grammar and jaws us all, but I
don't care; her heart is the best, and she will
make most every soldier live, and how she hates
a Reb! She is never afraid of any one. Once
old Dr. S., of Alexandria, was around inspecting
her kitchen, drunk. He found fault with every
thing; she took him by the nape of the neck, led
him out, called a guard, and told them to take
this drunken man to headquarters and she would
have him court-martialled. He was afterwards
glad enough to apologize and to get out of that
place, or she would have done it, sure.

To-night the rumor has come that Booth is
killed and taken to Washington; somebody saw
somebody who said he saw a paper, — that is the
way we get all the news; if it is true, it is too
good a death. I would have liked to boil him in
my boilers over a slow fire, or to have my girls
chop him up in the chopping-tray.

BEAUFORT, Wednesday.

I was so unexpectedly pleased last night at
C.'s appearance; he came down to take me to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 195

Smithville; we leave here to-day at noon by
cars to Goldsboro', etc. They have about seven
hundred patients at Smithville. C. says it 's a
pleasant, clean town. The worst is there are
three other nurses there! It will be rather funny
moving four boxes, two trunks, two chairs, and
a table, two dorgs (mine and Doctor's), looking-
glass, and Jack [the Russian] with his knapsack;
he is the guardian angel over all. I asked him
to do something for me last night ; he said, " I
do anything for you; when you tell me, I fall
down dead in the water," meaning, throw him
self overboard.

SMITHVILLE, May 14 [1865].

At last I am here where I have so longed to
be. We left Beaufort Wednesday afternoon, at
five, in the cars. I was at last really on the
way, seated in a box-car with all my boxes about
me. They told us we should have a hard jour
ney, so I was prepared for anything we might
encounter. There was no passenger car on the
route, and this had been especially used for trans
porting sick and wounded from the front; so the
lice and fleas! to say nothing of the dirty straw
with which it was filled. We rode all night.
There were five in our party, and a number of
drunken officers, some of whom were Rebels, so
the ride was not the most agreeable in the world.

196 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Everybody was lying round on the straw; there
was not a seat excepting the trunks and boxes.
The first misfortune was that C. let my mocking
bird loose; I could have cried, only that he was
so sorry.

About seven in the morning we arrived at
Goldsboro' ; it is a pretty town and very little
affected by the war; everything seemed intact
but the fences; those are mostly gone. We had
no time to go to the hotel for breakfast, as the
Quartermaster said the train would leave imme
diately; so I ran into the first house and asked
the woman, whose breakfast was on the table,
for a cup of coffee. She gave it willingly, but
she was rabid Secesh and kept talking about the
troubles she had seen. After all our hurry we
did not leave here till ten. We sat there on a
platform car in the hot sun till I thought I should
bake. I was so glad to get started again. The
cars were crowded with returning Rebels, full of
discontent with " Yanks," but glad the war was
over and to get home. Some of them talked real
saucy; but I quickly shut them up. It was five
o'clock when we got to Wilmington. The coun
try is lovely in some parts, — perhaps not really
so, but it is so long since I have seen green fields
and woods. You would hardly have known us
for smut and dust when we arrived.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 197

I had hardly got bathed and brushed when in
came Dr. Barnes. He had a message in his
pocket, just received from Dr. Palmer. He (Dr.
Barnes) had telegraphed to Dr. Palmer: "Is
Mary von Olnhausen with you? If so, can you
spare her to go to Raleigh?" Dr. Palmer's
answer was : " Not here, but expected every
moment; can't spare her." He was for taking
me off without more words, as he has eight hun
dred sick and wounded there, and no nurse. If
I had been going to any one else but Dr. Palmer,
I would not have hesitated; but I knew it would
disappoint him so much.

Dr. Barnes went from me to General Abbott.
In talking of the war, Mrs. Abbott said, " Doc
tor, have you ever met Mrs. von Olnhausen?"
"I have just left her," said the doctor; so in
ten minutes he was back with the General, who
would not hear an excuse, but took me off to his
quarters. They are quite splendid, and I had such
a warm welcome from his wife (I told you I
knew them in Manchester), and such a pleasant
visit with them. Next morning the captain sent
for me as the boat was starting. General Abbott
sent word that the lady had not breakfasted, and
that the boat must be delayed till she came on
board, — so much for being a General's guest.

The sail down is very nice and of much inter-

198 Adventures of an Army Nurse

est; the river is full of obstructions, with many
sunken boats; they think the torpedoes are about
all out of it. The forts, all except Fisher and
Caswell, are already dismantled and their banks
are crumbling. Indeed, I was surprised, all the
way through, to see so few traces of such recent
fighting.

My ward is a large one, — over sixty beds, all
with wounded ; it 's not quite completed. Yes
terday and to-day I have been helping generally,
and need enough there is of help. One thing I
did which I suppose you will all be shocked at,
though the patients have been too glad. I shot
three big pigs from the cook-house door, — one
at the first shot and two at the last. We could
not lay a thing down that they did not devour.
They would come right up to the tents or cook
house; nobody would take them, and it required
all of us to keep them away. I said I 'd shoot
them and take the consequences if they would
bring me a gun; so when the gun was brought,
I was bound to do it. The most I have to boast
is that I shot them all through the heart. Doctor
has appointed me chief huntsman, and the pa
tients had a bully dinner, and, more than all, I
think the Rebels will have a wholesome fear of
me when I meet them with a weapon in my
hands.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 199

I long to be settled down to work and to have
the thing fairly running; but it takes so long to
start a new hospital. Moreover, every one now
seems indifferent; you can't make him work.
All they think of is getting home. For myself,
I wait patiently till it is all over; this hospital
undoubtedly will be the last to be broken up, and
I shall stay, at least, till Dr. Palmer goes. This
is a most dilapidated town, right opposite Fort
Caswell, and with a fort in its very centre.
Doctor's house is close by it and a quarter of a
mile from the camp, so it is quite a walk through
the sand. I hope soon to be nearer. Last night
I took a horseback ride of about three miles; we
passed many redoubts and rifle-pits, but all in
disuse now. It is such a sandy, uninteresting
country all around here; but any country is
better than none, so I enjoyed the ride.

SMITHVILLE, May 21 [1865].

What do you say that I did not write my
usual Sunday letter; were you mad as a pig?
Well, you would have been if you had had as
bad a stomach-ache as I did all day. I never did
have a worse one. If I 'd had courage to write
the letter, it would have been a succession of faces
such as only I can make, varied with interjections
that you don't like to hear. As to writing Mon-

200 Adventures of an Army Nurse

day and Tuesday, or any other day this week, it
has simply been impossible. I have had all I
could do early and late to get clothes enough
washed to have the men clean by Saturday night.
The clothing has been neglected, was scattered
everywhere, and was so abused.

My house is all done, so now I can tell you
about it. Perhaps if I had written a true ac
count last Sunday you would have felt that it
was about time to leave the army and retire to
private life. I certainly felt so nearly all that
week; it seemed impossible that order ever could
come. I thought by being at the camp I could
expedite matters, as I saw no prospect of a
laundry or ward while I was a quarter of a mile
off and the sand so deep it was killing us to walk
it so many times a day. So the doctor had a bed
temporarily put up in the light-diet cook's pas
sage-way (the only spare place he could find),
while he hunted up quarters. Now there was an
agreeable situation, — from five in the morning
a constant stream of darkies and cooks passing
through, for it was the only store-room. I could
not rise, of course, till one of the women gave
me a chance to dress in her room.

Doctor finally found a house that would do
for linen room and my quarters, using a big tent
for laundry. It was the very best he could do,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 201

unless he went far from camp; but such a for
lorn, dirty, tumble-down old hole you never saw
in the North. Anything to get a house; so by
Wednesday I had my room ready and fell asleep
in it. Luckily the lamp was burning, for I felt
afraid to sleep there in the dark alone. Some
thing wakened me after an hour or so; and on
opening my eyes I saw the biggest kind of a rat
gnawing a piece of candle on a stand at my side,
and another in the corner of the window appar
ently ready to charge on me if I made a move.
I felt perfectly faint with terror; there are no
windows in the house, only wooden shutters. I
screamed to Jack as loud as I could, as if the
poor soul could hear me; he sleeps in the work
room, which, as usual, is some way from the
house. No Jack came; but the noise I made
scared the rats and they walked leisurely away,
taking the candle with them (the piece, I mean).
I sat up in bed and, happening to look at the
wall, how can I describe the bedbugs! They
were swarming from every crack and hole; they
were countless. How the rest of that night was
passed you may guess.

The next day I was back in the diet-cook's
passage again. I liked the men best of the three.
Then I began charging on the beasts with hot
water by gallons, with mercurial ointment, and

202 Adventures of an Army Nurse

after that with two coats of whitewash, and with
carpenters and chloride of lime for the rats. I
got back again Wednesday and can for a while
sleep comfortably. The house is cleaned and
whitened and made close from top to bottom,
and it really looks quite jolly. I have all my
traps about my little room, and the doctor con
fiscated a bureau and a settee for me; so I am
proud.

Jack has taken a little room nearer to me, one
that I used for a soiled-clothes room. What
could I do without the dear soul? He is just
as devoted as one can be. He heard the orders
read for all Sherman's men to go to Washington
to be mustered out; for a little while he was
delighted, got his knapsack ready, and danced
round. I did not say a word against it, (how
could I?) but I felt real bad. In about an hour
I missed him ; he came back directly clapping his
hands and saying, "I no go, I no leave you ; I
tell Dr. Palmer and he say I stay." Dr. Palmer
reports that Jack came with eyes full of tears and
said : " Doctor, I can no leave Mrs. O. I fall
down dead before I leave her. I love her like my
mother." Doctor was much amused with his
devotion, and told him he could stay as long as he
would. He is always doing something for my
comfort, in such a funny way too. My bird and

Adventures of an Army Nurse 203

dog are his especial delight. He makes no friends
excepting them. Altogether he is a character of
my army experience.

This is certainly the strangest part, if not the
hardest ; and yet I really have enjoyed being here
ten times as much as in Beaufort. I would not
change for anything. I have the care of twenty
washerwomen; a great care it is, too, and with
such an amount of back washing to make up. My
ward is ready for me now. I have about thirty
wounded, but I can tell you more about them
in my next, as I 've seen them only now and
then.

We have about four hundred patients here,
mostly recruits and bummers. I never saw such
an uninteresting set of men, all homesick and good
for nothing, wanting simply to get home. It
seems only a certain portion after all are to be
mustered out. I don't know what these fellows
who must stay will do. I thought, of course, all
Sherman's army were going home.

My letter is more than usually stupid, but I am
undergoing such a biting from the fleas I can
hardly write. The other day I could not stand it
a moment longer, rushed into my room and went
hunting; the result was thirty fleas, the biggest
louse you ever saw, and in the covering of my
hoopskirt an enormous bedbug had built her nest

204 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and laid her eggs, — fairly domesticated herself
and seemed settled for the summer. What do you
think of that? North Carolina forever!

SMITHVILLE, Sunday, June 4, 1865.

I have my little shebang and laundry in perfect
order. The tent for washing is the best in the land,
and my hut, white inside and out, is too lovely for
anything; and I can have a clean spread on the
floor every day, since I control the wash. The
whole arrangement is much better here than else
where. None of the women live on the land ; they
draw their rations every Saturday for the week.
I give them Saturday afternoons and pay them
all off before they leave. They have a dollar and
fifty cents a week. I have four white women and
fourteen nigs; if they stay away for half a day,
I cut them down, so I have to call the roll twice a
day. It makes me a heap of trouble; but I am
sure of the work, and as there are no sevens or
nines in the figures I get on amazingly well.

Two of my men are Rebels, mortally wounded,
one through the lungs. The other has had a re
section of the upper third of the left arm done by
a Rebel surgeon, and done accordingly; he forgot
to look and see that the elbow joint was shattered.
I have so little patience with these surgeons. One
of my boys was a prisoner in Andersonville several

Adventures of an Army Nurse 205

months; his limbs are full of scurvy scars. He
is now wounded in the foot ; he says he has never
had enough to eat, and has that gnawing at his
stomach all the time, no matter how many rations
he gets. It is a real disease with so many of them.
Another poor fellow was eleven months a prisoner
for refusing to work in the fortifications about
Richmond; they knocked him down, stamped on
him, broke four of his ribs, and kicked his front
teeth out. He said to them, " Do all you can, but
I '11 never work on a breastwork or fortification
for you to kill one of my own men from." They
tried starving, and finally brought him to that
horrid Salisbury, wounded and worn, and left him
without shelter till both of his feet were frozen to
the knees. Luckily some comrade got ice water
and bathed them till the frost was out or he would
have lost them both, as so many did. He is to me
such a hero, but after all he suffered he says
nothing was as bad as the hunger. He says about
a thousand consented to work; those were better
fed just to tantalize those who would not. He is
a handsome little fellow as well as brave.

The medical director says this hospital will re
main here all summer at any rate, so I suppose
there is no chance of coming home at present, and
it seems not well to go for a furlough when prob
ably the fall will see us all at home.

206 Adventures of an Army Nurse

I hear all the pickets are to be drawn in to
morrow. I am so glad ; it will be nice to be able
to walk out in the country again without being
obliged to run for a pass. It is a long time since
I have had that privilege. You can't make eyes at
pickets; they just won't let one go past. Only the
Massachusetts Second H. A. would, about More-
head. They knew me, and used to say, " When
I go back on my beat, you just slip by."

SMITHVILLE, Sunday night, 12 o'clock.

This last week has been hateful. I wrote you
that a brigade of soldiers were coming; well, sure
enough, they came, and a greater set of scalawags
never lived. I never heard of such men; they
broke into houses, smashed ever so many heads,
insulted women, stole horses and everything else
they could steal, even went into Dr. Palmer's
stable and carried off one of his horses. They were
drunk and rowing all the time, and every one had
to go armed. I had Doctor's double-barrelled gun
by my bed, and only that I was smart enough to
have shot those pigs I think I had been attacked,
sure; for a lot of them came into the yard one
night. Then one of them said, " You better let
her be, she '11 shoot you, and she can shoot, too,
for I see her shoot three times and kill every pop."
He did not say it was pigs I popped, so I guess

Adventures of an Army Nurse 207

they thought it was men. They went off growling
and vowing they would kill my dog, who was bark
ing furiously. What a dog that is! His horror
is a nig or a Reb; one cannot come into the yard
when he is unchained.

SMITHVILLE, June, Sunday.

Thursday I went to Fort Fisher with Doctor
and his family and some others ; and that was truly
a most delightful day, though the thermometer
was nearly out of sight and the sand ankle deep;
but the cool sea breezes were delightful, and, then,
it is probably the greatest battlefield in America,
and the first I have ever been on except New Berne,
and there every trace had disappeared. But here
all was so fresh and so wonderful to see. I wish
I could describe the Fort or even give you a faint
idea of the work our men had before them. The
long unsheltered road they came down in the face
of such a terrific fire seems too much for any stout
hearts (they landed up the beach two miles) ; and
the rushing forward of the hundred and fifty for
lorn hope, all volunteers and armed with only axes
to cut away the stockade to make an entrance for
the troops (which the fire from the gunboats had
failed to do) was perfectly heroic. Besides the
sharpshooters at the stockade, stationed so closely
with loop-holes to fire from, there were rows of
rifle-pits to receive them if they succeeded, and the

2o8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

constant shower of shot and shell of all kinds. It 's
wonderful how one lived to strike a blow, and yet
it was done, though almost all fell.

Friday.

There is the greatest excitement here over a
tent fly that was missing. Some circumstances led
Doctor to believe that one of the " first nine " in
town (a pilot who has made "whips" of money
during the war in the blockade runners) had it, as
he was seen often talking with a hospital scala
wag. So, Wednesday night, the doctor called and
told him he was informed he had a fly belonging
to the government. He swore as a gentleman and
also by a solemn oath " on the square " as a man,
that he had n't it or any hospital property. Doctor
told him he was sorry to proceed farther, but he
must, circumstances pointed him out so plainly,
and gave him his choice, — to permit him and his
stewards quietly to search or to have the provost
guard. T. tried all arguments and, finding the
doctor determined, said he thought he could tell
him where some of them were. So he told of a
man in the country who had two. He thought
surely then the doctor would go off. Not so.
Doctor said, " Come, take your choice." " Well,
Doctor, if you won't betray me, perhaps I can find
two of them ; " so he went upstairs and brought
them down. Doctor had missed only one. Then

Adventures of an Army Nurse 209

T. said he bought them of that bad man for five
dollars each, — such a lie ! The first cost of one is
about seventy dollars, and these are of the very
best duck. Doctor went right off, got a guard,
and searched the house; it was eleven at night,
and the man's wife, Mary, was in bed. When
they went into her room, he said, " Don't be
alarmed, Mary, cover up your head, these rude
men sha'n't hurt you." Such a homely, snuff-
chewing thing you never saw ; if he had anything
else, it was under Mary, and Doctor was too fool
ishly polite to search her bed.

Well, all this developed other things; so they
commenced yesterday morning and searched every
house in town, and it was truly wonderful what
they found. Not a single house where there was
not something, — quantities of bed linen, guns,
three new flags, crockery, buckets, tinware, even
hospital slippers. The boys had lots of fun out
of it. Nobody knew how anything came in the
house; "Why, it had been there years before the
Yanks came." The fools could not read, and
there was the hospital mark on everything!

Anyway this is the worst set of soldiers ever
did live, all recruits and bounty jumpers who steal
everything and sell it again for a trifle. The
richest man in town, whose wife is just going
North for a summer tour, after her four years*

14

2 1 o Adventures of an Army Nurse

imprisonment, had a quantity of linen spreads that
they were using for table-cloths. She " had not
the least idea how they came in the house." A
guard has gone into the country to-day expecting
to make a great haul, having heard of a lot of
things that were seen out there.

Doctor is almost discouraged ; everything seems
to happen down here in Smithville ; of all the places
I 've been in yet it is the meanest. It might be so
pretty, too, and is, indeed, now. The crepe-myrtle
grows here like the lilacs at home, only much
larger; but every house has many trees of it, and
the beautiful china pink of the blossom against
the rich live-oak foliage is perfectly lovely. One
peculiarity of the town is its thousand swings,
sometimes as many as three or four in a yard.
Everybody swings, nigs and whites; these moon
light nights every one is flying through the air.
Dr. Curtis says it is only since the war that it has
become a feature of the place. I guess the ropes
have washed in from the wrecks of the blockade
runners.

The town is full of returned Rebels who are
insolent as they dare to be, — excepting those who
have been prisoners ; those all say they have been
treated as well as if they had been one of us and
are, consequently, a shade more polite; but the
spirit of secession is not laid yet. Can you believe
that many of them still think slavery will be re-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 2 1 1

established? Can one have a stronger proof of
their ignorance? Imagine these millions of men
who have been fighting for their freedom brought
back to chains again!

Five hundred sick and wounded colored soldiers
have been admitted since I wrote, all waiting to
be discharged. They are many of them of the
Second Maryland, the first regiment of blacks that
I ever saw, on their march through Alexandria.
They are a splendid set of men, have always been
at the front, and are so much better disciplined
than the white soldiers who are here. One who
stands guard at my house has had five bullets
through him, and yet has lost only three months
and never had a furlough ; he is such a manly
fellow, says his old father in Baltimore told him
and his two brothers never to come back to him
unless they had proved themselves true soldiers
and good men.

SMITHVILLE, August 28 [1865].

My two little pet birds are devoured by wretches
of cats, and this morning my only other mocking
bird was dead in his cage. I am so mad, as now
I have only the two cats and the redbird; I hope
these will live until I get home. I feel impatient
to be off, have commenced packing, and am having
everything washed, wearing all my cast-offs so as
to be ready at a moment's notice. I don't expect
to get off this week, but will the first of next.

2 1 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

We are sending the patients away as fast as we
can, and they are already reduced to fifty, so my
cares are very light. As I have only a few women
to look after, I have time to repair breaks, etc.
How I 'm longing to see you and hoping to have
a letter ; that is my best comfort. Soon you won't
have my scribble to decipher, but will have me
chattering. I shall be a change, at least.

This was the last letter from the Civil War.
How highly valued were the services that she had
given to the soldiers during these three years and
more is made plain by the following letter from
the last surgeon under whom she served, Dr.
Palmer, a letter heartily endorsed by Medical
Director Hand and Major-General Palmer. It is
addressed to her brother-in-law.

U. S. A. GEN'L HOSPITAL,

SMITHVILLE, N. C., July 4, 1865.

SIR, — I have recently received from the office of
the Surgeon General, U. S. A., a Circular Order,
directing me to forward to him " the names of those
ladies who have rendered valuable services, gratui
tously, for more than three years past, in attendance
upon sick and wounded soldiers in Hospitals."

This Order was designed, I suppose, to secure some
public and striking recognition of the services alluded
to. I think this is right.

But there is a class of ladies who have rendered
extremely valuable services to the sick and wounded

Adventures of an Army Nurse 2 1 3

Union soldiers in hospitals, but who do not come
within the terms of the Order above mentioned. The
Volunteer Nurses, who worked under the supervision
of Miss Dix, received, from the Government, twelve
dollars per month. Many of these women were so
self-sacrificing and faithful and efficient, that we who
live to enjoy Freedom a second time won, and, I hope
forever won, can scarcely manifest, adequately, our
gratitude to these women.

And among all the female nurses whom I have
known or heard of, not one is better entitled to emi
nent and substantial notice than is Mrs. Mary Von
Olnhausen of Lexington, Mass.

From my own observation, and from the state
ments of our lamented friend, Surg. J. B. Bellangee,
I conclude that the services rendered by this lady to
the sick and wounded soldiers, and thus to the Gov
ernment, and to us all, have been quite equal in
value to those afforded by any other person in her
sphere of labor.

Her whole soul has been in the work. She very
early acquired a marvellous dexterity in the manage
ment of the wounded. Thus, with her wonderful
physical endurance, she was able to do more good
than any nurse I ever knew. She was literally untir
ing in her labors. By her zeal and usefulness and
general deportment, she entitled herself to the respect
of us all.

Soldiers who owe their lives to her care and skil
ful attention are scattered, now, over nearly all the
Northern States. They will remember her with grati
tude. I presume that is all she will wish for. I sus
pect that Mrs. Von Olnhausen is not ambitious for

2 1 4 Adventures of an Army Nurse

notoriety or fame. But I take the liberty to suggest
that the citizens of Massachusetts may with propriety,
and honor to themselves, offer to Mrs. V. O. some
substantial testimonial, which shall manifest their
appreciation of her services and at the same time do
her good. She is in every way entitled to all she will
receive, and ought to feel no delicacy in accepting it.

This statement of mine is prompted in part, by
hearing that the friends of Mrs. George, a Female
Nurse, who " died at her post " in Wilmington a short
time since, had purchased, for presentation to her, a
home in the State in which she had been a resident.
To me this was suggestive. A fee simple, in a piece
of land, is worth a thousand golden trinkets.

I suppose you know Mrs. V. O. and are her friend.
So, without apology for writing to a stranger, I simply
hope that you and her other friends may some time
act upon the suggestion given. I know many whom
you will never see who will gladly take part with
you. Yours respectfully,

J. M. PALMER,

Surg. 3d N. Y. V. in Charge Hosp.

Endorsed: MED. DIR.'S OFFICE,

NEWBURN, N. C., July 17, 1865.

Mrs. M. Von Olnhausen has served in hospitals
under my direction for nearly two years past, and I
take pleasure in endorsing all the statements of Surg.
Palmer. This lady has won the respect and confi
dence of all brought in contact with her ; and by her
devotion to the sick and wounded soldiers has de
served all a grateful country can do for her.
D. W. HAND,

Colonel and Med. Dir, Dept. N. C.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 215

August 2, 1865.

I most cheerfully endorse all that has been said
herein of Mrs. Von Olnhausen. I believe that this
lady has done more good in the hospitals than any
other female nurse I ever saw or of whom I have
ever heard. I. N. PALMER,

Bt. Maj. Genl. U. S. A. (late Comdg. Dept. of N. C.).

A more formal and more general testimonial
of the value of her services follows. Signed,
as it is, by Governor Andrew and other State
officials, it is in a measure a definite recognition
by Massachusetts of the good she had done in the
cause of that State and of the Union. This testi
monial would have proved of the highest value to
her five years later had it not been for a misfortune
involving it, which will later appear.

Admitting as we do, that the noble and patriotic
devotion of the Soldier has not been fully appreci
ated, we feel that the devoted service of the truly
PATRIOTIC WOMEN, who have served so FAITH
FULLY at the bedside of the Sick and Wounded in
Camp and Hospital, demand of us our most pro
found gratitude.

That although we have no fear that History will
fail to do full justice to this noble band of PATRIOTS,
yet in many cases those who have received kind at
tention, and the friends of such, cannot be satisfied
without some more substantial manifestation.

In no case can a proper manifestation be more
deserving than to Mrs. Von Olnhausen, than whom

2 1 6 Adventures of an Army Nurse

no one has been more self-sacrificing, no one has
labored with more success or with a more honest
purpose.

We are therefore most happy to have this oppor
tunity to make manifest in some slight manner our
feeling and regard for the truly noble and PATRIOTIC
CHARACTER of her we are truly proud to call our
Friend.

(Signed) J. M. PALMER,

Surg. 3rd N. Y. Vols. formerly in charge of U. S. A. Gen.
Hospitals " Mansfield " and " Smithville," N. C.

JOHN A. ANDREW,

Governor of Massachusetts.
WM. SCHOULER,

Adj. General of Mass.

WM. I. DALE,

Surgeon-General of Massachusetts.

NEHEMIAH BROWN,

A. A. G. of Mass.

JOHN CUMMINGS, JR.
I. H. SPRING.
H. L. SIMONDS.
CHAS. CHOATE.
FRANK WRISLEY.
ANSON P. HOOKER,

As st. Surg. Genl. Mass.

WM. C. CAPELLE,

Capt. Mil. Asst. to Surg. Genl. Mass.

JOSIAH BARTLETT, M. D.
HENRY I. BOWDITCH, M. D.
W. T. MCALPINE,

I st Lieut. 2nd Mass. Infty.

JAMES VILA.
EDWARD WHITNEY.

CHAPTER VIII

SCARCELY had Mrs. von Olnhausen re
covered from the fatigues of her Civil Wai-
campaign than she determined again to
take up the more difficult, because more monoto
nous, duties of life on the Illinois prairie. Dur
ing her three years' absence her brother's wife had
died, leaving, besides the four other children, an
infant boy.

This second experience of the Western prairies
was far harder than the first, and was probably the
most " strenuous " period of this active and un
usual life. To bring up a baby, to control four
other children, to cook, sew, wash, and mend for a
large family, is far from easy under the best of
conditions ; to do all this under the hard circum
stances of frontier life is appalling. But Mary von
Olnhausen could extract sunshine out of the
sourest cucumbers, and the very hardships of her
life were made sources of simple pleasures for
herself and the children of whom she took such
admirable care. The long journey to the "timber"
to get the winter's wood became, under her man-

2 1 8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

agement, a pleasure excursion; the planting and
the harvesting, when neighbor A must borrow all
neighbor B's family and men, and must, in turn,
send all his family and men to B's, became a bus
tling picnic-time, the sixteen hungry extra men to
be fed making her already busy hands but fly the
faster. The good years, when there was an abun
dant crop but no market, and the bad years, when
there was a good market but no crops, would seem
to have been equally disheartening ; but they never
discouraged her. Always she was seeking, and
her optimistic, childlike nature was ever finding
the beautiful, where others would have seen only
the dreary and the squalid in the nature and the
human nature of that monotonous, semi-civilized
prairie-land. Possessed of a keen sense of humor,
she extracted the last possible drop of enjoyment
from the eccentricities and idiosyncrasies of that
extraordinary folk which, dazzled by the richness
of the new soil and the glamour of frontier life, had
drifted into her neighborhood from every corner
of the United States. With what unction she used
to tell of the woman who, in the neighborhood
prayer-meeting, thanked God that she had had a
change of heart on " Tuesday, at three, by Mr.
Phinney's clock;" of the relatives from far and
wide who came to the funeral of one of her
brother's hired men and camped in his house, as

Adventures of an Army Nurse 2 1 9

was the prairie custom, for three weeks; of the
extraordinary sayings and doings of a neighboring
family of poor whites who exhibited amazingly
the primitive instincts of the untutored and un
moral mind. In her failure to record these ex
periences we have lost what would have been a
distinct contribution to the social history of the
middle West.

In the summer of 1870 came news of the Franco-
Prussian War. Mrs. von Olnhausen was immedi
ately fired with a wish to go, being inspired both
with professional zeal and with ambition to be
of service to her husband's countrymen. She had
never been abroad; with a good knowledge of
French, she had almost none of German ; she was
aware that every difficulty would be put in the
way of foreign nurses; she had no money, and
none of that held by the German organizations of
America was available for such a use as this. But
she begged sufficient funds from her friends;
secured, as was easy, letters from those who were
competent to speak of her services in the Civil
War ; l began vigorously to study German ; and
in October of 1870 set sail for Liverpool.

1 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
OFFICE OF SURGEON GENERAL.

BOSTON, October 17, 1870.

It gives me pleasure to state, that the bearer, Mrs. Mary Von
Olnhausen of Massachusetts, United States of America, recently of

22O Adventures of an Army Nurse

Thence she made her way without difficulty to
Berlin, and, after the red tape inseparable from
war-time, secured permission to go to the front,
which, then, was not far from Paris. But, on her
way from Berlin to the seat of war, a misfortune
of the \vorst sort befell her in the loss of her only
trunk, containing all her letters and credentials, and
all her clothing excepting what she wore. Her
supply of money failing to cover any such contin
gency as this, she really suffered throughout the
campaign for lack of warm clothes; and the loss

the State of Illinois, distinguished herself during the late war by
her devotion to our sick and wounded soldiers.

So continuous and disinterested was her humane service, that by
direction of the late Governor Andrew of Massachusetts, a letter of
thanks was addressed her by this Department, and she is cordially
recommended to the consideration and courtesy of all engaged in
ameliorating the hardships of war, now present abroad.

WM. I. DALE,

Surgeon-General of Massachusetts.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR RELIEF OF MISERY OF
BATTLE FIELDS, NEW YORK.

NEW YORK, BIBLE HOUSE, October 21, 1870.

I desire heartily to commend Mrs. Olnhausen, the bearer of this
letter, to all the officers and friends of the International Associa
tion for the Relief of Sick and Wounded Soldiers, in Europe, as a
woman of great worth, devotion, and experience, meriting the full
confidence and respect of all who value self-sacrifice, patient and
persistent labour in the humblest details of service to suffering
humanity. She goes to offer her services to the sick and wounded,
and any who can aid her in getting to work in this blessed business,
will merit the blessing of God and the friends of humanity.

HENRY W. BELLOWS,
President of the American Branch of the
International Asso. for Relief t etc.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 221

of her credentials, of course, gave her endless
trouble. She wrote not a word of this, however,
to her friends in America; and they knew nothing
of her loss and her discomforts from this source
until the following March. Then came letters
from the Consul at Nancy announcing that an
unclaimed trunk containing letters and luggage,
which he described, had lain there for many
months. This misadventure accounts for many
of the difficulties which Mrs. von Olnhausen was
to experience, and explains the note of discourage
ment, so unusual with her, which runs through
many of her foreign letters.

Leaving Berlin on the loth of November, she
stayed at Nancy five days, seeking the lost trunk.
Thence she was forwarded, via Epernay, Reims,
Thierry, and Meaux to Lagny (all this taking ten
days), there to await orders from Versailles. But,
though she waited more than three weeks and
used every effort to be sent forward, she could
secure neither the necessary permission nor the
essential transportation. Finally, she determined
to go back to Epernay to seek employment in the
English ambulance there. They, however, could
give her no place, but sent her on to the ambu
lance at Metz, where she stayed only two days.
Going thence to Orleans, armed with letters to
American and English surgeons, she served for

222 Adventures of an Army Nurse

short periods in various ambulances, notably at
Meung, until she found at last, in January,
1871, definite and established duties at Vendome,
upon the Loire, about midway between Orleans
and Tours. Her letters and journal give, in far
less detail than is to be wished, the chronicle of
these difficult and discouraging wanderings.

VICTORIA HOTEL, LIVERPOOL, ENG., November i, 1870.
I 'm here in the smokiest of towns, and so con
fused with the noise of landing that I hardly know
myself. Mr. [Thomas] Hughes came to me this
morning and asked to introduce himself. He
said he had often wished to speak; but I seemed
so absorbed in my German that he would not be
intrusive. He spoke nicely of America, and gave
me much pleasant information. We talked all the
morning, and when we parted on the pier he gave
me his card and made me promise, when I came
through England, to send at once to him and he
would show me everything in London worth see
ing, and would even take me to Miss Nightingale,
who, though a great invalid, will always see him;
so I felt quite proud. They all had supposed me
some forlorn German Frau who could speak no
English, as they heard me speaking only to the
German passengers. When they had known Ger
man themselves, they would soon have detected me.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 223

It 's too funny how I dare blunder along as I do ;
but, after all, courage is the best, and it 's not so
hard as learning to wash. I start at one to-day
with my Prussian officer, who speaks no English,
and we shall have drole times making mouths at
each other. He has only three bird-cages and a
parrot who talks continually, so imagine us en
route.

BERLIN, November 4, 1870.

At last I am in Berlin, where I have so long
wished to be. This has been a day of pleasure.
I am at a little hotel, second class. Herr L., who
wanted first to see his family and gladden his five
children with his live-stock, advised me to rest
to-day ; to-morrow he will come at eleven and take
me to see Mr. Happ. So, after a bath and break
fast, I started out alone to see the town and air
my German. It has been splendid. I hope I shall
go again, but it 's impossible to know till I see those
I have to. I hope to be sent at once to the front.

BERLIN, Thursday, November 10, 1870.

It seems a hundred days since I came here, I
have seen and done so much. I am to go to Reims.
I am sent to the Sanitary Association, who will
put me at once where I wish to be. If I am not
satisfied there, I am to be sent to any place I like.

224 Adventures of an Army Nurse

It was a great favor, my going at all, as there are
very strict orders for no one to be sent ; but being
an American and coming as I do with letters from
Dr. Bellows and the others has helped. I must
say I began to feel a little anxious, fearing I should
never get off. In the mean time I have spent most
delightful days wandering about the city, which is
truly beautiful. Wherever I saw people going in
I went too; so I have seen much.

CHATEAU THIERRY, November 20, 1870.
After I had delivered my letters, one of which
was to a Fraulein von somebody, I went to visit
the two hospitals she has under her care, and no
words can tell about them. In our most disor
ganized days in our worst field hospitals I saw
nothing like it. The beds were abominable, the
patients dirty and, it seemed to me, in every way
uncomfortable. The rooms were not even ^//-ven
tilated, and I could n't see that anybody was doing
anything but eating and drinking; that seemed
continuous. You would not believe me if I told
you all she drank on one round right out of the
bottle ; I would have had to occupy one of the beds
before the first half-hour. Her face was ruddy as
the wine before we parted; every person we met
she stopped to tell how much she had to do; and
yet all that day she did nothing but talk, drink,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 225

and eat. Twice we had coffee, and she always took
out her little flask of brandy; " Sary Gamp"
could not have liked it better. How " von " tells !
Otherwise I think she would not stay long in the
position. She went with me to the French
woman's where I am billeted, and talked steadily
in German, although neither understood the other ;
it was very funny to hear them. The Madame
fired the last shot by saying " Good-bye, lady of
the Grand Nation. It is time you too were in
Prussia with its three hundred and fifty thousand
soldiers ! "

There are no more letters extant covering the
period of the next five weeks; but in place of
letters we have the journal kept scrawlingly in a
little black book. It begins with a pencilled itin
erary, but is silent as to route and experiences from
December 19, 1870, to March 30, 1871, that period
being partly covered, however, by somewhat frag
mentary letters. The dates in the diary are hope
lessly confused, Mrs. von Olnhausen finding it
difficult, throughout her life, to know which of her
busy days was which.

Left New York 226. October, 1870.
Arrived 32d October ( ? Nov. I ) , Liverpool.
Arrived 5th November, Berlin.
15

226 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Left Berlin loth November.

Arrived at Nancy I2th November.

Left Nancy I7th November.

Arrived at Epernay ifth November.

Left Epernay i8th November.

Arrived at Reims i8th November.

Left Reims iQth November.

Arrived at Chateau Thierry igth November.

CHATEAU THIERRY, November 20, 1870.

So dark and late and muddy when I got here
that I was not prepared to see such a lovely town
as it is. I had some difficulty in finding lodg
ment, but at last was housed. I wanted supper
and wine. The people, at first, were cross and
unwilling; but I took the high hand and let them
know I zvould have it. After a while it went better,
when they learned I was American ; so I had a
good bed and the best of coffee ; and, besides, they
cleaned the mud from my clothes and shoes. One
has to put on high airs with these people. When
I got here, I found I must be delayed some days.
The railroad is torn up to Meaux. This is so
discouraging.

November 24, MEAUX.

At last I am so far on my way. Dr. Schmidt
gave me transportation with his Colonel. I started
in the coupe of a big wagon, in charge of a friend

Adventures of an Army Nurse 227

of his. After a little the Lieutenant of the com
mand offered us his chaise. That was very nice;
but my companion was very drunk from too much
port wine, quarrelled with the officers, and drove
over everything except the houses. So, at noon,
when we halted, the Lieutenant claimed his chaise
and drove me the rest of the way to Meaux over
the most beautiful road, smooth as a floor and
lined with double rows of trees. Everywhere were
lovely views and such picturesque villages. I was
not at all tired, though we drove fifty miles.

I had a letter to Count Gleist, who, though it was
so late, received me kindly, with promises to do all
he could for me. He gave me such pleasant
quarters with the nicest of French ladies. When
she found I was American, she was so pleasant,
gave me a nice dinner, and we sat till late talking,
— really talking, though my French is very bad.
She understood a little German, however. She
has seen much suffering through all the wars, is
a Bourbon, and does not believe it possible for
France ever to become a Republic, — so also I.
In the morning I found such nice coffee and deli
cious bread and butter ; and then went, by appoint
ment, to Count Gleist. He promised to send me,
during the day, to Lagny. Though it is winter,
the flowers are blooming in the fields and gardens.
The garden of old Madame is very fine, and her

228 Adventures of an Army Nurse

house is filled with flowers. She sits all day em
broidering altarpieces. Her only son is a colonel
at Paris.

November 25, LAGNY.

It was quite dark when we left Meaux, but we
were here by seven, and I was brought, by the
Count's direction, to the cloister. Just as I arrived
came also some Protestant Sisters from Stuttgart,
the freshest, nicest-looking girls, all eager to go
to work. We had a very merry evening and slept
in the large dormitory together. This was a
boarding-school ; but is now a hospital, as is every
large house in the town. It is a very little place,
with but few wounded in it. I did not expect to
find them here; but this is another step. I have
letters to Count P. with orders to send me farther.
Always farther! When shall I come to the end?
I have sent to him, and he will see me at one
o'clock; so I wait here in this dismal abode. It 's
raining hard and there is nothing to see; so it's
rather forlorn. An English doctor is here who
offers to be my guide to the Count.

Saturday [November 26].

I went with the English doctor to see Graf P.,
who promises to do all for me. I have such hateful
quarters in a cloister. The Sisters are more than
horrid to the " Deutschers," though they treat me

Adventures of an Army Nurse 229

a little better, being an American. I have no fire
in my room except a foot-stove which carries me
back to the days when I had such beautiful times
in the old garret. I hate black bread; but they
do make good coffee. This is the first day that I
have lost courage; but it 's impossible to feel jolly
with stone walls all around and so cold. If I
could have only one letter from home, I would feel
quite happy ; but so far I have heard not one word
since I left so long ago.

Sunday [November 27].

I went to church with the Mother, both fore
noon and afternoon. It 's such a ridiculous little
church, rigged up with painted windows giving
such an abominable light. After church I took a
long walk with the Mother through the town.
This terrible war ! The place is full of destruction :
beautiful villas entirely destroyed; furniture, pic
tures, glass, all broken in pieces ; trees and shrubs
torn up ; marble statues all in ruins. Every house
not destroyed is occupied as a hospital or bureau.
In one house a large library had been destroyed;
not a book that was not torn to pieces. It was not
a cheerful walk.

Monday [November 28].

While waiting for an answer from Versailles,
I must amuse myself; so I walk about the town.
The Mother took me to several hospitals, where I

230 Adventures of an Army Nurse

saw much suffering and very much dirt. They are
twenty years behind us in all sanitary matters, —
no ventilation, no proper food, dirty beds, men
lying in their clothes, not even the floors swept.
I 'm disgusted.

We can hear the cannons distinctly, this is the
third day. From one part of the city we can see
two of the forts around Paris. To-day I hear the
French saying that the Germans are defeated; at
any rate, the Sisters are quite gay over some news.

Tuesday [November 29].

Went this morning to see Count P. He has
had no letter yet, but promised to come after
twelve to see me. He and Dr. H. came together.
Count P. was indignant that I had such quarters,
and took me at once to a nice house on the hill.
The garden is full of flowers and I have a good
fire. It is pleasant to be warm again. A good
Deutsch Sister from a near-by hospital sends me
my food ; and now while waiting I would be really
happy if I could have only one letter from home.
I have written so many.

Wednesday [November 30].

I took a long walk in the country and had such
a good time. I went to a village about two miles
away. The people called out " Dutch, Dutch ; "
they saw the cross on my arm. Can anything in

Adventures of an Army Nurse 231

the world be dirtier than these French peasants?
I have never yet seen a nice face; and when one
sees the bent figures of both men and women, one
can believe the French nation is decadent. How
can such mothers bear heroes?

Thursday [December i].

Last night the first wounded from the battlefield
arrived, and this house is made an officers' hospital.
Among others was brought a Colonel wounded in
both knees and in the ankle. I have been up all
night. The poor man is suffering more for his
sons than for himself ; he has two, both wounded,
and he knows not where they are. The whole
street was full of wounded men. I feel as if I
were back again in our War ; only here there seems
no order at all; everybody flies about distracted.
The way they dress wounds is abominable; they
are not even where we were in '62. The surgeons
have had a consultation over the Colonel, and have
decided that he is too old for amputation. In
America they would have decided differently, I am
sure. So they have put the worse wounded leg
in a plaster of Paris bandage. God only knows
how it will be.

Friday [December 2].

A whole deluge of Sisters have come from Stutt
gart. They insist upon coming in and taking

232 Adventures of an Army Nurse

everything out of my hands. I stand my ground
as well as I can ; but they have the whip hand, for
they can speak better than I. Anyhow I won't do
servant's work ! I 'm an officer or nothing. I
want to go farther forward at once ; but Count P.
will not let me stir until he has the long-waited-for
answer from Versailles.

The Colonel has revived so much. I have been
to other hospitals to-day, and I can hardly contain
myself to see the treatment of the wounds. It
seems actual murder. We never treated ampu
tations so badly ; — head, hands without any care,
and the men allowed to eat all they will. I can
see now how good our surgeons were. One good
thing they have here is carbolic acid in all its
forms; this alone will doubtless save many lives.

Saturday [December 3].

I can't get up the least enthusiasm. In the first
place, I have n't enough to do, nor can I get it.
I think there is one woman to every two wounded
men, — all with caps or some such costume, and
calling one another " Sister." Prince von Weimar
was here to-day, and I asked him to send me
forward; so he gave me a letter of introduction;
but Count P. says I cannot go yet. I 'm pretty
mad!

Adventures of an Army Nurse 233

[LAGNY], Sunday [December 4] .

The day is not marked, as with us, by inspection,
though, Lord knows, it is needed. I have come
out of the hospitals to-day feeling just grieved to
see how everything goes here. And there is no
excuse, for the houses are large and supplied with
every convenience, and there is an abundance of
food ; but it is cooked like Satan. I have not had
a bed since the wounded came; but that would
be nothing if I could eat once a good meal. I can
drink the wine; but I don't like it, it 's so sour.

[LAGNY], Thursday [December 8].

The days are all about alike. I do what I can;
but it 's useless breaking my head against these
time-worn customs. Thus far every amputation
within my knowledge has died, excepting one;
and if he does n't he 's a fool, for there is no reason
why he should live. There has been no amputa
tion in this hospital, I am glad to say; if there
were, I would have to fight.

[LAGNY], Friday [December 16?].

There has been a snow-fall. Till now the gar
dens have been green, and with so many vines and
flowers blooming ; but this ends them. I ' ve been
out hunting for a washerwoman, and have found
a little Frenchwoman who will do. She is the

234 Adventures of an Army Nurse

only decent-looking one I have seen, and she 's no
beauty.

It is some days since I wrote. I have since
then left the hospital I was in, and have been for
some days in the Pension Fleury, the vilest place
for dirt and smell I have ever been in. The Sisters
are Catholic, and so mad because I am here. I
have seen a number of operations, and never have
I seen anything so abominable. One amputation
occupied nearly an hour, and was performed by
three surgeons who, in the end, were covered with
blood. The patient of course died in four hours;
why he did not die during the operation is a mys
tery. I was disgusted, and said so to Dr. D.,
who agreed with me, in words at least. I have
determined to leave here anyway. If I cannot go
forward, I will go back, and join the English
ambulance at Epernay, or else go to Zwickau [her
husband's birthplace]. I cannot get transporta
tion any farther. This hateful Count P. has re
fused me even to Meaux, though I have a letter
from Prince Weimar saying I shall go. Whether
it is that I am not Catholic or that I am American,
I do not know. I will not stay here much longer.
There are crowds of Sisters here. Every cook and
chambermaid in Germany who wants an adventure
seems to have put on some peculiar cap (they wear
no bonnets) and started out. Banded together by

Adventures of an Army Nurse 235

dozens, they fairly storm a hospital, and after a
day or two all are driven out by them. I have not
a bit of a chance because I do not speak quite
fluently ; and now I Ve had enough. I will see
Dr. D., the chief, to-morrow, and get his per
mission to go back to Epernay.

My dear friend whom I nursed, Colonel ,

is dead after all. When tetanus appeared, they
concluded to take off his leg. Dr. D. refused,
knowing that, without the operation, he might
live till his wife came, but that it was too late to
hope for his recovery. But some wise man from
Stuttgart came and said it must be done. They
had only made the first cut around when he was
dead. I am so sorry for his poor Fran; she came
next day, only to see his dead body. Poor wife,
she has already lost one son in the same engage
ment, and the other lies hopelessly wounded an
hour's ride from here. La guerre!

December 17 [?], LAGNY.

I depart to-morrow, at five o'clock, for Epernay.
I have been for some time quartered on a French
dame who seems really sorry to have me go; but
I leave here without a single regret. It is the
forlornest place that can be thought of, — so dirty,
so disorganized in every way, not a decent hospital
in the town. What can be expected when all the

236 Adventures of an Army Nurse

wounds are dressed with raw cotton, carbol oil,
flannel bandages, and oil silk, besides a heap of
nasty lint? Not a single amputation of the leg,
so far, has lived ; hardly one of the arm, and those
are doing badly enough. Every wound, for a
finale, is covered with a triangle of cotton; these
triangles are a peculiar German institution and are
used for everything. How I do long to have one
wound in my own hands!

1 8th, EPERNAY.

I arrived here this morning and have seen the
English Dr. Frank, who was so kind; but I have
no chance here. He has a whole band of English
Sisters, who, by the way, can't speak one word of
German or French, and yet all goes good. It is the
only hospital I have seen in the least approach
ing ours excepting Dr. Brigham's at Noisiel. Dr.
Frank gave me quarters in his own house, and I
passed such a delightful evening with him and Dr.
Montgomery. I needed this little comfort, for I
was quite discouraged. He gives me letters to the
English ambulance at Metz ; so to-morrow I start
again.

[i9th.]

Rode all day and passed the night at F , as

it was too late to go to Metz. It was dark and
rainy and so muddy, and I had a half hour's walk
to my quarters.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 237

There is no entry in the journal until March 30
of the following year. The rest of her wanderings
towards the goal for which she had been always
aiming, Vendome, are partly chronicled in the
following two letters, all that remain of the many
which she must have written.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE, REIMS,

Friday, le 23 December, 1870.

I do think this is the last time I shall have
courage to write; I have come away back here
expecting to find letters, and not one here; but
the feeling that I must accomplish what I came
for prevents me from returning. Not one word
have I ever heard since I left New York; and
yesterday some one told me that he did not believe
a single letter of mine had ever left the office at
Lagny. What will you think if you have not
heard from me? I was so disgusted there I could
not stay longer, and found it was impossible to
ever get any farther; so I determined to come
back and join the English ambulance at Epernay.
I arrived there Tuesday ; 1 but Dr. Frank, who is
most lovely, had just imported a band of English
Sisters, and so needed no more, as he has less than
fifty beds and five or six Sisters; but he gave me

1 By the journal the arrival at fipernay was on December 18,
which was Sunday. There is a hopeless confusion of days and
dates at this period.

238 Adventures of an Army Nurse

letters to the English ambulance at Metz, so I
went there.

There they have only French patients, all old
wounds and beyond nasty. Such a place was never
seen. We don't know anything of such things.

I stayed there two days, but he (Dr. ) has all

French Sisters who won't work with any one else,
and he himself is an old fool. I 'm sure he never
saw a gunshot wound, or, indeed any. I have
before described the dressing of wounds here; he 's
a little behind that even. Won't God punish such
murderers! I have seen more suffering than ever
in my whole life before. Our War was nothing
to it.

[Later.] I am now writing in the cars, for I
am on my way to Orleans with letters to English
and American surgeons; somehow I feel as if
this was the turning-point in my adventures. I
keep a journal of everything, so all you miss you
will know when I get back. I will not write one
word about my experience, for I know all letters
are watched; but at least you will hear that I
am alive and have been well ever since I came to
Europe.

ORLEANS, January 6, 1871.

I am sure of this letter finding its way to you,
and so I write with real good heart; one of the
English surgeons goes home to-morrow, and has

Adventures of an Army Nurse 239

just told me that he will post it out of the war
region.

I had a very hard journey from fepernay,1 I can
assure you ; and without the hope of getting to the
English ambulance I would have given up many
times. From Nanteuil to Meaux I came in a bag
gage car full to the brim with matter for the hos
pitals. We had to ride all night or, rather, make
stops all night, as such trains always do; and it
never was colder. My seat was a salt bag; could
anything be worse? I thought I should freeze,
sure. We had no light, and I did not know a soul.
I shall never forget the length of that night. Such
a Christmas morning! But the commandant at
Meaux gave me quarters in a cloister, and they
treated me well, — gave me a warm chamber and
a nice dinner ; so I soon got comfortable and then
went to see Captain N., the English Chief of
Ambulance there. He was real good, and, as the
next morning he was sending stores to Orleans,
promised me a place in one of the wagons.

Captain N. said we left at seven, so I had coffee
and started before light ; found, of course, nobody
ready and the goods not loaded; so it was a long
wait till ten o'clock, when the three wagons started
loaded so heavily and with all the drivers (Eng
lish) drunk from too much Christmas. The two

1 Through which she passed in going from Reims to Orleans.

240 Adventures of an Army Nurse

officers who conducted the expedition were very
cross and did n't know the way, and it never was
colder, so I have sometimes had a jollier ride.

We got only twenty-five miles that day to Brie,
a little town where the famous cheese is made.
I had quarters in a fine old house with two of the
funniest little old women and a nephew just like
them. They were evidently frightened out of their
wits, and seemed to think I would eat at least one
of them. They put one foot-stove (chauffer ette)
in my lap to warm my hands and one at my feet,
and flew round like two very old hens; they ad
mired everything I had on and myself generally.
The house was so damp that I wondered how one
could become so old in it.

We started rather earlier next morning, but
nobody felt just right yet and we had various acci
dents through the day. When we got to Corbeil
they refused to take the goods by rail (here the
road commences), so we went on to Juvisy. This
is the most remarkable town I have seen ; it is full
of chateaux, so old and fine. They said positively
here that we could not go on by rail ; they go only
by horses, having no engine; so we looked round
for lodgings. That was not to be thought of, —
five thousand soldiers there and it but a very small
town. So, after dusk, we started again; every
moment seemed colder; and (give me an Amer-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 241

ican for all the English in an emergency) " we
ga'ed and we ga'ed " to find an old castle where
they said we could have quarters. We rode at
least ten miles round, and at nine o'clock we found
it. A great, old, rambling place with huge halls
and rooms that it was impossible to warm. A
Colonel was quartered there with his regiment ; he
was very cordial and gave me his room. We had
a nice supper with him and some good wine; but
the bed was so miserable and the house so full
of noises that I could not sleep. I got up early in
the morning and took a long walk through the
grounds and garden, which are wonderful, sloping
away down to the Seine and full of statuary and
arbors, and so quaint and strange, with a most
picturesque old church. The place was the
Chateau of the Jesuits, — ever so old. The
old fellows were turned out when the soldiers
needed it.

It was late when we left, and then we found we
were only one mile from Juvisy after our long ride ;
so stupid ! We went back to Corbeil, and there I
determined to go on. They left me and went back
to Meaux ; stupid things ! they could just as well
have gone on, for the next day I found a German
party who have much more than they, and, by
insisting, we got through. The first night we
only got back to Juvisy; there everything was

16

242 Adventures of an Army Nurse

unloaded and it looked rather bad for us. There
were five of the party : two doctors and two gentle
men from Frankfort going for wounded friends
to C. ; they were decidedly the pleasantest people
I have met all the way through, so jolly and yet
so gentlemanly. We could not even get anything
to eat, at first. Finally, one officer told us he would
give us something to eat if we would find a place
to cook it. He gave us coffee, canned beef, vege
tables, and pork; so with all our hands full we
started to search the town. Finally, after a great
run, we got a chance at a fire and two pots; and
by and by we had a capital dinner.

Then we had to find lodging for the night ; that
was more difficult. At last we came to a great
castle (this all sounds like " The Mysteries of
Udolpho") occupied by a regiment; at first the
Commandant said no; but when he found there
was a lady (and it was so horrid cold and already
dark), he said if we could sit up all night we might
come in. I would willingly have consented to
stand on my head, I was so tired and cold; so he
brought us through these elegant apartments into
such a splendid room (or rather hall, for it was
perfectly immense) filled with everything beauti
ful, — exquisite paintings and statues and such
gorgeous furniture and books and music and an
immense marble fireplace full of wood, which was

Adventures of an Army Nurse 243

best of all. We drew our chairs around the fire,
drank red wine, and laughed and talked till at last
we all fell asleep; and really it was a nice night.
As to the whole castle I will tell you about it some
time; it was wonderful. Some of the Orleans
family own it. I fear not much that is fine will
remain when the soldiers leave it.

We were fortunate enough to get a pack wagon ;
so we rode all day through the most lovely country
and by such charming towns and chateaux. It was
horrid cold, but I was bound to see everything.
Our party was very jolly and we had plenty to eat,
though it was frozen. We got to Etampes by dark ;
there we had to stay all night, and the crazy old
engine brought us here next day. It always breaks
down, but it was good to us. Here our party
separated, much to our regret.

I have been quartered with a most charming old
couple; he is one of Napoleon's old officers (I
mean the first Napoleon), and is so full of interest
ing stories; his wife was a great belle. They
remember all the revolutions, and I should be real
happy here only I can't get into a hospital; they
are sending all wounded away, and the Anglo-
American ambulance will employ only Sisters of
Charity, who won't work with any one else. But
Baron S. sends me to-morrow to Gien, where are
many fresh wounded; there I hope to find a
hospital.

244 Adventures of an Army Nurse

I 'm afraid to write one word of war news for
fear my letter won't reach you; but to-day the
news is not very favorable for the Prussians. They
have, however, been bombarding Paris for some
time, and at Juvisy, where we were so close to
Paris, we could hear the firing night and day.
There have been terrible battles the past three days
on both sides of us. I hope to get my letter from
Epernay. Oh, dear, I never expect you will;
though as to myself, if I get much more discour
aged, I shall go back. It 's no use to ask you to
find me; write to Berlin, Poste restante. I will
find letters there, or perhaps may have a chance to
send for them.

CHAPTER IX

AT about this time Mrs. von Olnhausen
seems to have put herself, or to have been
placed, under the direction of the Johanni-
tern, or Knights of St John, those modern repre
sentatives of the old Knights Hospitalers.

By this Order she was sent towards the front,
by diligence, accompanied by a Knight of St.
John and by two unfriendly Sisters. In this not
wholly agreeable company, and worn out with the
long buffeting from place to place, the homesick
and emotional little woman was quite overcome,
on the second day of this journey, to see waving
from a beautiful chateau the American flag. This
proved to be the Chateau de Meung, owned by an
American but confiscated by the Duke of Mecklen
burg for the use of the German army. Here Mrs.
von Olnhausen remained two weeks, doing what
she could for the patients there under the difficult
circumstances of being almost totally ignored by
her fellow-nurses. So hostile were they that they
did not even inform her of the retaking of Meung
by the French, and made their preparations for a
hasty departure quite without reference to her.

246 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Fortunately, the Knight in charge of the hospital
was more friendly, and made the diligence in which
the nurses were to be taken away wait until she
too could make ready for departure.

This last removal brought her to Vendome ; and
thereafter, under the direction of the medical staff
of the army (between whom and the Johannitern
there appears to have been much jealousy and fric
tion) she was given the recognition and the work
which she had so long sought. The Maire of
Vendome, moreover, at whose house she was
billeted, proved the best and most influential of
friends, giving her cause for everlasting gratitude.

Arriving at Vendome in the latter part of Jan
uary, she stayed there until the 3Oth of March.
As long a: the German army remained (it was
withdrawn from Paris on March 3), the condi
tions were most comfortable and agreeable for
her; but the general order for evacuation having
been carried out, she was left for several weeks
practically alone in the midst of a hostile popula
tion and in charge of critically wounded men.
This period, and the still more dangerous and
wholly futile journey, with eight patients, away
from Vendome, is quite fully covered by the ex
tracts from her letters and journal which follow.
That experience was the last of the many dis
agreeable adventures met with in France. Arriv-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 247

ing in Berlin, she was soon greeted by her late
husband's sisters (who had heard of her presence
in Europe only through the efforts of the officials
to trace the owner of the missing trunk), and was
taken by them to their home in Tharant, near
Dresden.

VENDOME, February 16 [1871].

I have often had the excuse of feeling too sad
to write; but I think never, until now, of feeling
too happy. Yesterday, for the first time since I
left America, I have received letters from home.
I have tried to avoid telling you how unhappy I
have been about it, and always have spoken hope
fully when I have written; but now you must
realize how much I have suffered. I am so glad
I have had the courage to wait and not turn back,
as I have so often been tempted to do. To be
sure, the letters were all written last November;
but I 'm so grateful for that much. I have already
written you about my life here, which every day
I like better. I cannot say too much in praise of
the first doctor that I had. He was nearly as good
a surgeon as Dr. Bellangee; and the one I have
now is excellent, too. Moreover, they have learned
that they can trust me, and so they have practi
cally nothing to do with the wounds.

They are evacuating here as fast as possible,
and have already given up the school to the city;

248 Adventures of an Army Nurse

so I have now a large, fine room in the old hos
pital. And I have the same good luck with the
wounds that I had at home. I think, too, the men
like me as well — perhaps better — than if I were
a German. You would be surprised how well I
can speak both French and German.

The church, as I wrote you, is very beautiful;
and since I last wrote I have found time to go
in. I have seen no such paintings in France in
any church, and the old windows are most won
derful, though many of them were ruined when
they blew up the bridges. I often go in now, and
am quite friends with one of the priests, who wants
always to ask so many questions about America.
All the French seem to think that 's the best land,
and I 'm treated with marvellous respect when they
find that I am American.

I still like the Sisters very much. They are not
imaginative damsels; but the older is well edu
cated and plays nicely; which is pleasant when
we have any time to spare. This, however, is not
often, for it is frequently nine o'clock when we
sit down to dinner. However, hard work makes
good digestion, and I don't care how much I dream
so that I dream of home.

I suppose if we really have peace one of the
terms will be that the Germans shall leave France
at once; so we may all have to go. I shall be

Adventures of an Army Nurse 249

really sorry not to see Paris, and I shall try my
best to get there. Aren't the conditions de
manded by Prussia hard? And they are starving
there in Paris while the world decides. Here we
can already live much better. The people are
bringing out their stores, and we don't get the
everlasting answer : " Rien du tout, du tout, du
tout," no matter what we asked for. I could
always get more than the Sisters because I told
them I was American; so off would come their
hats, and, after searching in some horrid, dirty,
old back place, they would bring something to
light. Speaking of this, I say the French people
are the dirtiest on the face of the earth. Their
houses, especially those of the peasants, are abomi
nations. You see, I poke into every house, under
some pretext, and have thoroughly learned their
" tricks and their manners."

The town is already full of people returning
from their flight. The small-pox has been dread
ful here, and so fatal. The bells are always toll
ing, and the priests forever singing in the streets
with candle and cross, followed by such a motley
crowd. They always go on foot, and it 's no
short walk to the cemetery. It 's well they have
something to do. The Mayor told me there were
more deaths here in the month of January than
had ever occurred before in an entire year.

250 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Right in front of the window where I sit the
river runs, with only the street and a little garden
between ; already the spring birds are singing, and
the air is soft; and the street is full of market
people crying their different wares, with their
white caps and blue linen clothes, so unlike any
thing one sees at home. The wonderful old clock
in the town strikes the hours and quarters so
musically, and the sun shines so brightly on the
warm yellow stones, it makes one quite happy. It
has already struck the hour for my going to the
Hospice, but I still sit ; and now that Sister Marie
has brought me a strong cup of coffee (meaning
the coffee), I feel wonderfully content. I just
have seen a boy pull a fish from the river which
I have a great appetite for. He looks very ragged
and nasty (I mean the boy, of course), so when
I have done I shall go out and lay hands on him
(I mean the fish). A couple of sous will make
both him and me happy.

Dr. Lazarine [ ?] , who has been here a week with
the Sisters, has given us lots of good things. He
goes back to England to-morrow, and I shall be
sure then that this letter, which he takes, will
reach you. He is such a kind old man. Not one
of the doctors speaks one word of English. Oh,
yes, one of them does. A young fellow says " All
right," " Beautiful," and " My dear." Whenever

Adventures of an Army Nurse 251

any one speaks to him in English he always makes
one of these for answer, — he says he must keep
up his English. He is bright, and I think one of
the Sisters and he are quite in love; so perhaps
she will not always be a Sister.

I told you in my last that I should go on
to Meung; but now I shall not go. When my
doctors found that the Johannitern wanted me to
go there, they vetoed it at once, and said they
would give me all the work I wanted. So they
sent away the men who were well enough and
gave me all those who were really bad. There is
such jealousy always between the Johannitern and
the regular army. Since then I have heard that
the English ambulance is there.

There is no other letter for a month, but it is
clear that the interval was quietly spent in work
at Vendome, under fortunate conditions. Mean
while the preliminaries of peace had been signed
on February 26, the German army had entered
Paris on March i, and the return to the Father
land had begun.

VENDOME, Thursday, March 16, 1871.

I wrote a week ago that I should leave the next
day (Thursday), but just as I was getting into
the carriage the doctor sent me word it was im
possible for me to go, as they had received eight

252 Adventures of an Army Nurse

very badly wounded men from another hospital
and he wished me to have the care of them. I
was delighted, first, at the compliment, and then
because I wish so much to remain in France till
warmer weather ; it is so cold in Germany. I can't
tell you about these men; I have never seen any
so bad. They have had no care, have lain wet for
weeks, and have such sores and such indescribable
wounds. I am busy from early morning till nine
at night.

I have left M. Sarazen [Mayor of Vendome]
and am now with my friends the Mesdemoiselles
F., who are the loveliest, kindest, funniest old
women I have ever seen. The moment I enter
the house they dance around me as if I were a
queen; and when I undress they stand admiring.
All my clothes are folded like a child's, my shoes
cleaned, my bed warmed, and a bottle of hot water
placed at my feet ; and in the morning they are at
the bedside to see that all goes right ; while in my
dressing-room are a good fire and warm water.
I 'm sure they feel rather aggrieved that they can't
bathe me. They are so puckered up, so very little,
with gray hair so very much frizzled, and they talk
so fast. What one says the other always repeats.
They are aristocrats of the old days, have seen
terrible times, when their friends were dragged
to the guillotine under their very windows. The

Adventures of an Army Nurse 258

brother, who is a fac-simile of the sisters, comes
to the hospital with me when it rains, and I find
him at the door when I go out. Everybody calls
me " Madam American." For the last two days
I have been indescribably happy, for I have had
the first letter from home since those written in
November.

This is such a pleasant old town. I believe I Ve
seen everything that one can see except the old
clock, which I am going to visit to-day. Now
that they have no longer fear of the soldiers (who
have all departed), the children are pretty saucy,
and when I put my head in the street call out,
Prusse, Prusse; so it is better for me not to go
alone anywhere.

Day after to-morrow the doctors and all the
hospital corps depart. I alone remain; but you
must not be worried about it. It is impossible to
transport these men by wagon, and the French
will not give us a train at present. I would not
leave these wounded men, though the doctor-
in-chief says I may go if I wish. I think the
French will respect me more, as I am American,
and I can interpret for the men, not one of
whom can speak a word of French. You would
be surprised to hear me jabbering French now,
and German; I have no longer any need of an
interpreter.

254 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Sunday [March 19].

This has been such a dull day and so long, the
patients are so sad. Four have died since yester
day morning. I feel to-night as if we should all
die here together. I have now nine left, — three
wounded, four with typhoid, two with small-pox.
I have everything to do, and it is vastly harder
when the men are low-spirited and have so much
to fear from the French. My doctor came to pay
me a last visit on Friday evening1 and spoke so

1 The following translation of a letter from this surgeon is of
interest in this connection : —

VAILLY NEAR TROVES, April 30, 1871.

MOST HONORED LADY, — I have just received your letter, and
although I have not read it because it is in English, which along
with several other languages I do not understand, nevertheless, I
will answer you circumstantially. Just as two soldiers who have
fought side by side are bound for their entire lives by this brother
hood of arms, so you, most esteemed friend, have always been the
faithful companion who sacrificed herself for the welfare of the
wounded ; and I have never found any one who was more self-
sacrificing in this service nor more reliable. I have often grate
fully remembered your forgetfulness of self in this great calling,
and have often reproached myself for having left you alone in
Vendome in spite of the fact that you desired to remain there.
With due regard to those poor people who had to stay behind, we
could not refuse your self-denying offer, and we were influenced,
too, to accept since we were sure of your capable help, and I am
convinced, although I have not yet read your esteemed letter, that
you have fulfilled your task as conscientiously as successfully. I
have often spoken of you and sympathized with you since you were
left alone in Vendome, so I am all the more glad now to receive
not only this token of your esteem, but also the news of your safe
arrival.

I am glad that you, at least, who have really earned it by your

Adventures of an Army Nurse 255

nicely of my staying here alone; in the morning
when I saw them all passing before the house, I
felt strongly tempted to go too.

Friday [March 24].

I have not found time to write one word since
Sunday. I find the patients here so different from
the soldiers at home. I have never known the
names of one of them. They accept everything
as their right, and are always so impatient and
obstinate, and it is not the same pleasure to take
care of them as in our War

The news from Paris is every day worse, and

self-sacrifice, are in my dear Fatherland and with your people, while
I am still far from my family — my poor wife and my four-year-old
son. I am quite sad when I think of it, but when I consider the
numberless widows and orphans who, comfortless, await our return,
then I judge myself fortunate.

We had on our journey to Blois, then by rail over Orleans,
fitampes, Juvisy, Corbeil, Melun, to endure many hardships ;
afterwards we marched by way of Nangis, Provins, Villenauxe, to
Troyes. We have been encamped now for four weeks not far
from the latter place (nine kilometers), and the end is not in sight.
I shall endeavor to have your most friendly letter translated by a
comrade. It will please me very much, however, if you have time,
if you will write me a few lines in reply — in German or French,
perhaps Polish, which I also understand — or to have that done.
In case I find no one who will translate your letter for me, I should
be very glad if you would translate its contents briefly into German,
which perhaps you will do anyway, even though I find some one to
do it for me.

Farewell. I think of you with most grateful reverence, and of
your good heart.

With many greetings, your friend and admirer,

DR. SCHWERKE [?].

256 Adventures of an Army Nurse

I think the sooner we are off the better. This
morning we had a telegram that we must leave
to-morrow morning, but two are too sick to go.
I hate to leave them, especially one who was am
putated the day before the doctors left. The other
it matters not, as he will die. The poor fellows
do not know yet that they must stay, and I dread
to tell them. I think they will die from fright.
Did ever such a people live as these French ! One
would think they had enough with such a war;
but now they must fight with each other. [The
uprising of the Commune began on March 18.]
The people are furious that the prisoners are still
detained in Prussia.

The next letter, written from Berlin on the an
niversary of the Battle of Lexington, gives quite
fully the story of the eventful weeks following
March 24.

BERLIN, Wednesday, April 19 [1871].

I 'm just glad enough to be back here, feeling
that now I can hear regularly from you and you
also from me. You can't know what a cross it
has been to me, and nothing but my Yankee grit
ever carried me through. I think if I had found
nothing to do I never should have had the courage
to go back to America, though now you may feel
assured that while I had anything to do I worked

Adventures of an Army Nurse 257

with might and main ; and you will be satisfied, I
think, with what letters I have from my doctors.

You will wonder where I have been all this
time. I wrote last from Vendome. I had all my
men that could go ready, and when I found those
that I could not take feeling so bad to be left
alone, I decided to go only to Blois, and then to
return and stay till they were better. Just as the
wagons were prepared, however, came a despatch
saying that I must wait a day or two; so I put
the men back in bed, and you may know that was
a blue day with all. Now they thought they never
would get back to the Fatherland. I began to
think so, too; besides, I had so little money left,
and, to keep them alive, I must buy them meat and
wine at least.

We waited a week, and it looked gloomy enough,
when Thursday evening, March 30, just as I had
finished my rounds, the Mayor came in with a
despatch from the Sanitdtscommission Agent at
Orleans that I must leave right off; so at six I
was at the hospital, and by eight we started. I
forgot to say, though, that in the night another
man died, so I had only eight to take with me. I
rode in the coupe of the diligence with the two
small-pox men, who were really better than they
looked, — in fact, the only two who could sit up.
It was market-day, and the town was full of people.

17

258 Adventures of an Army Nurse

The Mayor was anxious on that account that we
should leave early, as they are bad enough with
the Prussians. Luckily we got off without being
seen by many ; those who saw us shouted and ran
after us; but the drivers were real good, and we
were soon out of their claws. For me the ride
was especially delightful after my long confine
ment; but the men were so tired and so hungry
and so cross!

When we got to Blois, we found we could not
go on to Orleans; there was a despatch awaiting
us that we must rest for three or four days. I was
not sorry, for the men were used up, and Blois is
full of interest; it has the most wonderful and
best preserved chateau in France. Nothing was
ready for us. They were breaking up the hospi
tal, so we had to wait an hour in the wagons.
Then the chamber was so cold, and the stove
smoked, and the horrid stone floors, which we
always find here, were so unbearable. As soon
as possible I had them in bed and a good supper
for them. The people were very kind and showed
the greatest sympathy for me, so I too had a nice
supper and a good enough bed; but as I had to
watch and do everything, having no one with me,
I could not rest much, for the men were too tired
to sleep.

After I had made them all comfortable in the

Adventures of an Army Nurse 259

morning, I left my small-pox men for watchers
and went to see the town and the chateau. I was
gazing, bewildered with its marvellous beauty and
interest, when up came a man with a despatch
to the effect that we had twenty minutes to get
to the station. Such work ! I had all the men to
dress and prepare, while somebody got a carriage
and men to carry the stretchers. "Batterman," the
newly amputated man, I took in the carriage with
me; the others were on stretchers. I had only
one blanket to cover him, as I had to send the
others all back to Vendome; but I supposed, of
course, that there was a Sanitdts train for us.

When I got there, I found nothing but a pack-
wagon, and no straw, no mattress, not a thing;
and this man only fifteen days amputated ! Even
what little time I had was used up in quarrelling
with the Inspector of the Station. He said posi
tively I could not go ; there was no requisition for
me, and unless I paid full fare I must stay. I felt
amazingly like breaking down; but I brought all
my French eloquence to bear, told him I was the
same as an officer in charge of those men, and
go I must; so at last he brought me a paper to
sign stating I was an officer pro tern, in charge of
eight Prussian soldiers. Was n't it most lucky,
for I had spent my last cent that morning ? When
all was done, he said I had still ten minutes. The

260 Adventures of an Army Nurse

men were lying in the salon; those who had come
on stretchers had their own blankets ; but they had
taken Batterman's blanket to lay him on, and there
he lay with nothing over him. I had no time to
get anything for him; even my waterproof was
in the baggage car; so I took off my dress and
skirt to cover him and rode to Orleans without.
I had to sit on that dirty floor and hold his head,
and was nearly jammed to death, to say nothing
of the cold, for it was raining hard. We were
more than three hours getting there; I thought it
ten.

When we arrived no one was there to receive
us; what could I do? I thought every moment
two of the men would die. Some one brought the
Inspector, whom I shall always remember with real
affection. He was so good (though a French
man), sent at once for a mattress and blanket,
had the men put in the salon and a fire made,
and then sent for the Sanitdtscommission Agent,
whom he knew. After an hour that official came,
with a very red nose, and so fussy and so fright
ened that he did nothing but turn round. I was
disgusted with him. He insisted upon speaking
English, and the devil could not understand him.
My German is perfect in comparison.

He said he had everything prepared at the hos
pital, but how to get there was the question. I

Adventures of an Army Nurse 261

made many suggestions, which were put aside.
After an hour's talk he decided on what I had at
first proposed : that the three wounded should go
on stretchers, the others with me in an omnibus.
Then a stretcher and six men had to be hunted
up (think of the condition of the sick all this
time). At last all was ready, when the Inspector
said we could not go without gens d'armes; so
we hired two. Mr. S. C. Agent then concluded
he had something else to do; but I think he was
afraid to go. Anyway he let me set off alone.

The Prussians had left Orleans three weeks
before, and the people supposed all had gone.
When, therefore, they saw us, they hooted and
screamed, and one horrible old woman howled
out all sorts of curses, kicked up the dust over
us with her awful old wooden shoes, and shook
her head so that her gray hair fell over her face
and shoulders. I never saw such a fiendish face.
I could then understand what a revolution in
France meant. The men were dreadfully fright
ened ; but we got to the hospital safely, and I felt
glad enough.

I expected to stay there all night, but the
Mother said no stranger was permitted to stay
in the building unless sick. I was rather in de
spair; but I borrowed some money from one of
the men, and passed the night in the most miser-

262 Adventures of an Army Nurse

able of little inns, the master of which boasted,
while I was eating supper, that he had been a
Franc Tireur for three months. All the company
looked so too; but it was Hobson's choice with
me. As I was to be at the station at six, and must
rise early enough to have the men ready, I must
be as near as possible to the hospital.

I went immediately to bed, but such a room!
I feared I should over-sleep, so had told the man
to call me at five, sure. I thought I heard him
knock and sprang up; hearing the clock strike
at the same time, I hurried on my clothes and
opened the window to listen for the carriage and
the man who had promised to be there at half-past
five. I got so impatient as the quarters kept strik
ing and nobody came; at last the clock struck one.
I was too mad, and so cold. I would not undress
again, so passed the night in that miserable, half-
awake state till half-past five.

When I rang at the hospital gate, I found the
men nearly ready, and that the Sisters had given
them some bread; then I looked again for the
carriage and my gens d'armes. Finally they came,
but not my stretcher-men; so I flew about the
street begging everybody I met to come. Finally I
picked up six of the lousiest, lost-looking wretches
ever were seen, and started for the station, the
same crowd following and " a-cussing."

Adventures of an Army Nurse 263

About ten minutes after I got there Mr. S. C.
Agent arrived with twenty other men that had
been forwarded from little stations around; they
had all had small-pox and looked rather shabby.
He himself flew round like a parched pea. "What
had we better do? " was always the question, when
there was only one thing to be done, — to get the
men in a pack-wagon speedily as possible, with
plenty of straw, which he ought to have had ready.
Thanks to my friend the Inspector, this was ac
complished, and the men were covered as well as
possible with all available coats and blankets, when
the bell rang. I had got only six of my men and
one other in my car when in rushed the Agent:
" Madam, here is a despatch saying all must wait
for the ambulance train, which comes at nine
o'clock." I saw nothing else to do but wait.
" Yes," he said, " you must do so, but I think
I '11 go as far as Juvisy and wait for you there;
it 's so dangerous here! "

So my men were taken out again on the plat
form, and there I was left without one sou, one
friend. Again my Inspector came to me, put my
men again in the saloon, lent me five francs to
buy them a breakfast, and locked the doors to keep
out the crowd. Nine and ten came, but no train;
every five minutes the men would say, " Oh, Sister,
won't you go out and see if they are not here?"

264 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Ever since I have been left alone with them I have
been Sister Anne to them, always looking out to
see if help was near. When twelve o'clock came
and no cars, and the men got hungry and weary
beyond endurance, I went out for the last time,
determined to go to the Mayor and have them
taken back to the hospital ; when, behold, " the
cloud of dust," and directly the doctors were with
us. We all cried a little, and now there was no
more delay; the men were soon warmly in bed
and fed, and I had quarters with the two Sisters
(Protestant) who always go with the train. I
found them very dirty, but very hospitable; any
way it was so good to have this terrible anxiety
over, that I was content with anything.

Now commenced our journey. We went to
Tours, where, by the way, I met some delightful
Americans: Mr. Lee, from Baltimore, and his
wife, from Rhode Island; they were very nice to
me, and I spent such a pleasant afternoon with
them. They have done so much all through the
war for both sides; they live there while educat
ing their children. From Tours (which is, by the
way, a beautiful and rich city and less destroyed
by the soldiers than any other, for which they have
to thank Mr. Lee, who persuaded General Haupt-
mann not to quarter his soldiers on the people,
but in the casernes) we went back to Vendome.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 265

Was n't it abominable in this S. C. Agent to make
me take all that horrible journey for nothing just
because he was afraid himself to wait any longer
and dared not leave us behind ?

From there we have been journeying ever since,
through such a beautiful land. It 's three weeks
to-morrow since I left Vendome the first time.
We have stopped at nearly all the large cities
through which we have passed long enough to
see the best part of them; at least long enough
to give one a desire to see them again. I espe
cially enjoyed Ulm, Munich, and Nuremberg; in
each we passed a day or more. In one we were
two days, so I made good use of the time. I
have kept a journal of all my journey. I know
such things are horribly stupid, or I would send
it to you.

Although this journal to which she refers covers
very much the ground of this letter of April 19, it
is by no means " horribly stupid," and it differs
sufficiently from the letter to make it worth while
to reproduce it, even though the facts are mainly
those already given.

[Front the Journal^

BLOTS, March 30, 1871.

We left Vendome at nine this morning, my two
worst wounded in one wagon, the other six with

266 Adventures of an Army Nurse

me. All the rest are dead ; the last died last night.
I was glad when he died, for I could not have
brought him, and I hated to leave him in France.
The day has been beautiful, and the ride altogether
lovely. We found nothing ready for the men, so
had a half-hour to wait before I could have them
in bed. The chamber was cold, and the floor, as
always in France, of stone. We are in the
wonderfully beautiful Chateau de Blois, the most
beautiful in France.

My men were so tired and hungry, I fear they
will not sleep well. I have a bed in the next room ;
I dare not leave them, and, besides, I have no one
with me to do anything for them. I am very tired,
and am glad to hear that we must stay here for
two or three days to give the men rest. The people
seem kind and have given the men a good supper.
As I look up at the old walls, I cannot realize that
I am here alone. How did I ever dare to come as
I did, not speaking the language and not knowing
one person in France? I could not have come if
I had known how hard it was to be. Now that
I can speak it is different.

ORLEANS, Saturday, April i.

This morning I had so much to do, as I have no
one to help me except the Hussar who has the
small-pox. The men were tired and out of sorts,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 267

— I have never seen them so impatient. After
they were cared for, I went into the town with the
Hussar to buy wine and bread. The people fol
lowed us in crowds, and some of them spoke so
meanly. But I always answer good-naturedly, and
it generally ends in a laugh. But it certainly is not
pleasant to be alone in Frankreich. I am always
anxious for my men (not for myself), for the
French nature is so uncertain one can never know
what may happen.

After I came back I gave the men their dinner
and had a good one myself. The Sisters here
(Franciscans) are very kind, and seem delighted
to talk with an American. Then I went to visit
the Chateau de Blois. I can find no words to tell
how wonderfully beautiful it is. I did not stay
half long enough, for in the midst came a man with
a despatch saying that we must leave Blois in
twenty minutes. My Lord ! I had all my men to
dress and make ready for the journey to the sta
tion. They sent Batterman in a carriage, but the
others went on stretchers.

When I got to the station, I found no ambulance
train there, and, while I had requisitions for my
eight men, I had none for myself. So I had a
very stormy time with the Inspector of the rail
road. He said positively I could not go. I said
positively that I would, that I was an Officier

268 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Americain left in charge of the men to conduct
them to Berlin, to which place they and I would
be transported. Until the last moment he held out.
Then he brought me a paper to sign, as is required
of all officers, and let me go. All this time my men
had been lying on the floor of the waiting-room.
They had taken Batterman's blanket to carry him
in, so he lay there with nothing over him. I de
manded a pack-wagon to carry them in, as they
could not sit ; so they were put in one. As Batter-
man had nothing under him but his blanket and
nothing at all over him, I had to take off my dress
to make him warm, and I thought he would die
before we got to Orleans. It is not yet three weeks
since his leg was amputated, and it is marvellous
that he survived that ride. I cannot tell how I
pitied that man. I had to hold his head all the
way, and was myself cold enough when we reached
here.

There was no one in waiting for us, and I did
not know what to do ; but the Inspector was very
good, and had the men taken into the waiting-
room. He then sent for the Agent, who ought to
have been on the spot. It was an hour before he
came, and then with so much cognac in the head
that he was little better than no one. Besides, he
is so afraid. I never saw a man so frightened. It
was a full hour before he got together the men to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 269

carry the stretchers, and a carriage for me. Then
we must have gens d'armes to accompany us, as it
is not safe here without them. It was rather a
mournful procession to the hospital, and such a
gloomy place when we got there. The men were
all tired out and were glad to get to bed. The
hospital is the Hotel Dicu, in charge of the Do
minican Sisters, who dress in white, and from the
time they enter the house till they die never step
out of it.

The old Mother — who is cross enough — would
not let me stay there; so, though it was dark, I
had to hunt up a lodging for the night, as we are
to leave for Juvisy at five to-morrow morning. As
I have not much money, I could not be fastidious,
so am in a miserable little inn in which the people
all look like robbers, with most villainous faces.
They set before me a scanty supper which I had
no appetite or heart to eat.

ORLEANS, Sunday, April 2 [1871].

This is a day. I 'm sure I shall never forget it.
It began altogether wrong, for I thought I heard
the knock on the door which I had ordered the
woman to give to waken me. As the clock was
striking, too, I leaped out of bed and dressed in
a hurry. Then I went to the window, which is
opposite the hospital gate, to wait for the carriage

270 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and the men who promised to be there at five.
After waiting till the clock struck again, I dis
covered it was only one, and that I had been
dreaming instead of really hearing the knock. I
was too mad. So to bed I went again, almost
frozen and with boots and clothes on, altogether
so miserable. Of course I slept no more, and felt
as though I were a hundred years old. Finally I
got admitted to the hospital, made my men ready,
and then waited so impatiently. When it was
nearly six, I took a man and we went to hunt up
somebody to help. Finding somebody at last, we
reached the station just in time to put the men
in the pack-wagon. This time there was plenty
of straw, and I thought we were to be quite
comfortable.

I had seated myself on my box for a little rest,
when the Agent (the same man I saw yesterday
and who has managed the whole concern) rushed
up and handed me a despatch to the effect that
the ambulance train would be here at nine, and that
I must wait for it. So we had just time to get the
men again on the platform, when the train went off.
I begged the Agent to stay and help me; but he
said he had all his things in the car, and that he
did not like, anyway, to stay longer in France. So
the miserable man went off, leaving me with those
terribly sick, tired, and hungry men, and with not

Adventures of an Army Nurse 271

one cent of money, and with no one to help me
except the Hussar. I have never been so near
despair; but I had no time for that. I hunted up
the Inspector, who was kind and had the men put
into the salle; and here I must wait with them for
the train to come. They had had no breakfast, and
I was too sorry for them. Again I had to apply
to the Inspector, who lent me some money to buy
them a breakfast.

At last nine o'clock came, but no train, — so
ten and eleven. I was at my wits' end. The eight
men were all crying with pain and cold, the room
was full of French soldiers and " blue blouses,"
who were so hateful, and, if the train should not
come, what could I do ? When at last I saw three
doctors at the door, I could not keep the tears down.
They were so nice, and had the men put into the
cars at once and fed. There are two Sisters ( Prot
estant) on the cars who have lived thus for five
months. They have given me a bed in their car,
so I am right comfortable. After dinner we went
into the town. The people are bad enough, and it
would take very little to make them wicked. We
leave here at ten to-night for Tours.

TOURS, April 3, Monday.

We arrived here at five this morning. We find
two wounded men here, but there are many in the

272 Adventures of an Army Nurse

little towns around; so we must wait here some
days until all are brought in.

April 4, TOURS.

I was so disappointed this morning. The doc
tor went to Meung and promised to take me
with him; but, after all, left me, for some rea
son. Some one told me there was an Ameri
can family here, by the name of Lee, who had
done so much in the war; so I got their address,
called, and was so delighted with them. They
were most cordial, and I stayed the greater part
of the day with them. It was so good to hear
American news. She told me so much about the
war that I had not known before. After I left I
took a walk around the town.

[TOURS], April 5, Wednesday.

This morning I took a walk to the Chateau de
Beau Jardin, which has been used for a hospital,
but which I was not permitted to enter. I am the
only one that dares to leave the cars, and every
one thinks me rash; but I find the people very
polite and kind. Somehow I always find such
pleasant people wherever I go. The doctor has
returned this evening with ten sick and wounded
men. We leave at ten o'clock to-night for Ven-
dome. I have no patience when I think how badly
this thing has been managed. I could have had

Adventures of an Army Nurse 273

my men so comfortable all the while in the hos
pital instead of taking that hard journey, had it
not been for that stupid Agent. It is a shame to
give such a man such a place. He was sent here
to hunt up the wounded, and he has left without
giving the doctor any information at all, — just
frightened out of his wits.

April 6, Thursday, VENDOME.

This morning finds us at Vendome. A week
ago to-morrow we left here, and now we are back.
It seems a month. I had such a horrid, anxious
time. I must go to my friends the first thing ; so,
as soon as we had seen the doctor, to learn how
long we are to remain here, we (the two Sisters
who travel with the train and myself) went to the
Ruins and to the Cathedral, — which is well worth
seeing, — and then to the F.'s.1 They were so
cordial and glad to see me, and insisted that I
should stop with them; but that I could not do,
as we may leave at any moment. We await only
a despatch from St. Calais.

It was well that I did not stay in the town ; for
the doctor sent for me at nine o'clock to ask if
I were willing to go to St. Calais for him. The
snrgeon-in-chief had gone to Blois, he (the doc
tor) could not leave, and I was the only one who

1 See p. 252.
18

274 Adventures of an Army Nurse

could speak French. I was delighted, of course.
Besides, I can go where I will without fear, as
all in the town know me, and I have only to de
clare myself an American to find friends every
where. So early in the morning I shall go into
the town to find a carriage and start for St. Calais.

April 7, Good Friday,

I have passed such a pleasant day. It is a
beautiful drive to St. Calais, and the little town
is a charming place, lying under the hills, so white
and clean, and with a curious old church in the
Roman style, with quaint carvings and statues.
There is a ruin, too, very old. I had time, while
the horses rested, to see all. I then started back
with my one poor fellow who had been so long
lying in the hospital here alone. At first he did
not want to come. He felt safe in the hospital,
and thought, when he got out, the people would
be so bad to him. But after we started he was
very glad, and arrived here not so much tired as
I expected he would be. It was quite dark when
we arrived, and, as we leave in the morning, I
shall not have time to say adieu to my dear friends
here.

April 8, Saturday, CORBEIL.

All the day we have had the most charming
drive through such a lovely land. As we near

Adventures of an Army Nurse 275

Paris, it becomes every moment more beautiful.
We left Vendome very early, stopped at Chateau
— , found two men there, and stopped for an
hour at - . The country is here very beautiful,
the fruit-trees all in blossom, and everywhere such
splendid chateaux. Wherever we stop the people
flock to see the cars, — the first ambulance train
they have ever seen. Everywhere we heard such
bad news from Paris. In one place, near Juvisy,
we saw from the cars a long artillery train com
ing from one point to attack the city in another.
The most demoralized soldiers (not even except
ing the Southerners after the War was over) that
I have ever seen are these Frenchmen, — dirty,
ragged, haggard, miserable-looking fellows. I
cannot conceive how the army ever had the pres
tige that it had. Such women and men as one sees
in the fields cannot bear heroes. Juvisy looked
bright and pleasant. It is a lovely town; and I
saw the two castles where I passed those two
nights here. I 'm glad it 's not so cold now as
then. There are still Prussian soldiers here. It
seemed very good to see them again.

(?)], April 9, Easter Sunday.

We stayed at Corbeil till the afternoon. I took
a long walk, and heard Mass in the old church.
I never saw such stupid girls as these Sisters.

276 Adventures of an Army Nurse

They are content to stay in the cars and never
see one thing. It was just so with the two Sis
ters in Vendome; all the time we were there they
saw nothing, and yet were never half so much
with their men as I was. We used to walk, and
I must always say " Look there," or they would
see nothing. " Born blind." It 's my third visit
here, so I feel quite at home. We ride as far as
Sans to-night.

CHAUMONT, April 10, Monday.

We arrived here at noon and stayed all the rest
of the day. I was so provoked that I did not see
the town, which is very lovely; but they told me
we might go at any moment, as we were only
waiting for a despatch. Nothing is so dreary as
waiting at a railroad station. The day, too, has
been so beautiful.

[NANCY], April n, Tuesday.

We left Chaumont only this morning. The ride
has been very nice to-day, especially the last part,
as we neared Nancy. The crops are all in, and
the grain looks miserable. I don't see what the
people will do another year for food. We arrived
at Nancy some time in the night.

April 12, Wednesday, NANCY.

All the day long I have been in the city, — in
the morning with one Sister, in the afternoon with

Adventures of an Army Nurse 277

the other, — so I am thoroughly tired to-night. I
saw only my friend the German Sister at the
convent De la bonne Chretienne. The person I
most wished to see, von Havernich, is not here.
I shall never forget that man's kindness to me
[presumably while seeking her lost trunk] when
I was here a stranger. He had gone to Metz for
the day.

April 13, Thursday.

We left Nancy and have travelled all day
through Lorraine. Immediately one can see that
he is in another land. The German element is
very perceptible, the houses and villages are so
different. The people mostly speak German, too.

April 15, MUNICH, Saturday.

It is delightful to be here, it 's such an interest
ing city. I intended, after breakfast, to go alone
into the city, but it rained hard. Besides, the
doctor sent word that all must stay in, as the
queen comes. I have not the slightest desire to
see her; but one must obey orders. (Later.)
The queen has been here; but I did not see her.
The Sisters are quite enthusiastic over her amia
bility, etc. It still rains. I 'm disappointed, for
Gustav has told me so much of Munich, I want
to see it all.

278 Adventures of an Army Nurse

April 1 6, Sunday, MUNICH.

We are entertained by the Sanitary Commission,
so we have everything good to eat and drink;
and after breakfast the gentlemen took us for a
drive past the University and to see the statue of
Bavaria. That alone is worth coming here to see.
The Temple is beautiful, too, in the court of which
it stands, and is filled with busts of illustrious men.
It looks out on the immense plain where the Octo
ber festival is held, so vast, so green, and the whole
city lying beyond. From there we went to the
cemetery, filled with beautiful works of art, but all
crowded and jumbled together. The saddest sight
I have ever seen is the dead house, where all the
dead must lie three days in full dress with wreaths
and flowers, uncoffined for all the world to see,
before they can be buried. I think there were
twenty there, some children of only a day or so,
and some people so very old. We leave to-night
at nine for Nuremberg, where we stay a day.

NURNBERG, April 17, Monday.

This is the most marvellous old town I have
ever seen. Every house is a study, the people are
so friendly, and the streets are so crooked and
steep and queer. We went first to the churches,
and then to the Fortress and Museum, where are
kept all the horrible instruments of torture. I can-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 279

not realize that so late as 1863 a man was here
tortured, with his wife, for stealing. They were
put into a large cradle filled with iron spikes, and
there rocked for some hours. The woman died,
I 'm glad to say ; but the man lived and was after
wards imprisoned for eight years. Here were the
wheels and ladders, racks, iron whips, iron masks,
- 1 cannot remember all the horrible things I saw.
We went then to a beer house four hundred years
old to drink beer and eat sausage and Sauerkraut.

FULDA, April 1 8, Tuesday.

The ride has been very fine to-day among the
mountains, their high points crowned with old
castles and ruins, the little villages with their red
roofs looking so cosey, the people, when we stop,
so friendly. We stopped for a while at Neuhof,
and I was so struck with the people as they came
from the little church. Every one had a bright
handkerchief tied on the head, a large woollen
scarf crossed on the breast and tied behind, and
a strip of velvet around the skirt, the colors being
of every conceivable shade. The effect was beau
tiful. They had such sympathy for the sick men
and for us who cared for them. One woman tried
to give me two little pieces of money. I could
not take them, but the act touched my heart with
such a glow. I wish now I had taken one as a

280 Adventures of an Army Nurse

memento. She looked very poor, and told me that
she had lost her only son in the war. Fulda seems
to be a fine and rich city, but we cannot see it.
We leave all our sick here; I do not know why.
Only two or three go to Berlin with us.

April 19, BERLIN, Wednesday.

We arrived here at noon to-day. I hurried for
letters, but found only one, of January, from J.
It 's so strange, and has quite dampened the spirits
I was in at getting here. I have to comfort
myself writing to them and also to Madame von
Roemer [her sister-in-law].

CHAPTER X

ARRIVING in Tharant in April, 1871,
Mrs. von Olnhausen shared the life of
her husband's sisters and other relatives
for more than two years. As will appear, this
visit was interspersed with journeys to Berlin, to
the family-seat at Zwickau, to Prague, and, in the
spring of 1873, to Italy and France. This longer
journey was taken in the capacity of companion
to a widow whose nervous invalidism made the
care of her an exacting and not altogether pleasant
task. Glad as Mrs. Olnhausen was to get this
wider view of Europe, she was not a little re
lieved when the time for ending this temporary
companionship came, and she could return to what
was now a home to her in Saxony. The von
Olnhausen relatives were most cordial and de
voted, and urged her to remain with them indefi
nitely; but their brother's wife was too sturdy an
American, was too deeply attached to Massachu
setts and to Lexington, to permit of her staying
abroad longer than until the fall of 1873.

282 Adventures of an Army Nurse

The letters from Germany are very voluminous
and are practically intact. But the greater part
of their contents is of too personal and intimate a
character for publication. Sufficient extracts will be
given, however, to present the extraordinary jux
taposition of a perfectly unconventional American
and her strictly conventional German sisters-in-
law, brought up in the atmosphere of genera
tions of Freiherr tradition. Their brother's
widow was an unending surprise and shock to
them. She was as scornful of German usage as
of the intricacies of German grammar. To her
the elaborate etiquette of the German upper class
was as superfluous as the cases and genders of
the elaborate German tongue; and she usually
flouted both. To her the limitations placed upon
the actions of their women were as absurd as the
variations in their conjugations; and she took a
free-born American's delight in ignoring the one
and the other. But her unconventionality, and
her love and practice of liberty, could not con
ceal, even from the eyes of German tradition,
the nobility of her nature, the fundamental good-
breeding of the real gentlewoman. And, how
ever she might scorn local and extraneous usages,
she was too true a woman ever to go counter to
essential courtesies. Therefore not simply as the
widow of their dearly loved brother, but for her-

\

Adventures of an Army Nurse 283

self, those fine old German aristocrats took her to
their hearts, and took her also — of course with
apologies for America, but never with apologies
for her — into that exclusive society which the
average American can see only from outside. The
following letters, shorn as they must be of person
alities, can give but an inadequate picture of that
life which, in their entirety, they set forth so well.
Those previous to June 15 are too personal to be
given.

THARANT, June 15, 1871.

The paper you sent is the only American paper
I have read since I left America. How long ago
that seems ! Do send me the other one you spoke
of, if you can find a copy. I wish to see my
self in print. As to the story of the Irishman's
leg, I 've forgotten about it ; did I really cut
it off?

I told you in my last about J. [Frau von
Roemer] ; she perfectly worships Gustav's mem
ory, and is good as pie to me because he loved
me. I think, as she and L. [Frau von Rohr-
scheidt] say, they would carry me on their hands
when they could. L.'s husband was a Colonel,
who died a little more than a year ago; he had
six children when he married her, and they had
three; but all of them love her so much. One is
a Colonel, one a Major, two were Captains, and

284 Adventures of an Army Nurse

have left the service. Of these one has a rich
wife and immense estates, the other married a
noblewoman in every sense of the word; she
had no money, though, so he is a coal-merchant;
and all the family, except the mother, are so in
dignant when they see the wagons go by with
von Rohrscheidt on them. He says he is much
prouder of that title than if he were idle and were
called Count, and he means, too, that his children
shall be so proud of it that they will add it to
their coat-of-arms.

You ask me how I look. I 'm not so horrid
fat now, though I am by no means wasted; but
my clothes feel more comfortable, and, when my
hair is dressed, for an old lady who must wear
glasses I look pretty spranky. J. is so interested,
as is L., in all of you. She remembers everything
Gustav ever wrote about you all, and I think reads
his letters over every week. The dear Uncle K.
is dead ; when he heard of Gustav' s death, he said
he wanted to live no longer. He placed all his
letters on the table, and always had them there
till he died ; read them over and over, and often
said he had nothing more to live for now his dear
son was dead, for he always had felt Gustav was
his son. I have seen Uncle K.'s sister, a proud
old lady, in Dresden ; she kissed me, held me long
in her arms, and said I was a happy woman to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 285

be loved by such a man. She is such a wonderful
specimen of an old-fashioned lady, — so straight,
so well and richly dressed, and so ceremonious;
I guess she never forgets herself. She is eighty-
five, is such a little thing, and steps around like
a princess. She seemed to me just like some fairy
godmother who could turn us all into gold and
silver if she would. I shall pass a day with her
soon.

Before I finish my letter I must say a little
about the German fighting. I agree that they
are good fighters, but not that they are the best
soldiers in the world. I have had a chance to see
both wars, and I 'm sure I don't boast in saying
that the Americans were the better of the two.
We had a much worse enemy to contend with.
What had the Germans? A people who at first
did n't want to fight, hated their leaders and Em
peror, never had one good general, were perfectly
unprepared and undisciplined, were badly clothed
and fed from the first, and felt their inferiority.
The leaders had no faith in the men, and the men
no faith in the officers. Two of the best fought
battles were lost by the disobedience of the sol
diers, who would have fires though strictly for
bidden. There was no sentiment on either side,
as with us, and the Germans had only to go right
along and take, or buy, everything. I like the

286 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Germans well enough, Lord knows; but I want
to see them fight with a real nation before I
quite yield the palm to them. When I think
of all we had to contend with, I think again
that that was the War of the world.

THARANT, July 13, 1871.

Although I fully enjoy European life, when the
time comes to go home, I shall be ready to enjoy
more than ever our own land. I feel every day
more proud that I am an American. Only by
going to America can one get out of the narrow
circle that binds one down here, especially in the
life of the aristocrats. I guess the Burghers know
how to have a better time ; the fear of what people
will say is not so great with them. For my part,
I don't care. I won't do anything unladylike, — or
what I think is so, — but if I choose to go through
the street of this little town without gloves or in
a calico morning-dress early in the day, I do it;
moreover, I speak to people, even if they have
not a half-dozen titles. As to saying all the polite
things that one must say here, that's entirely too
tiresome.

I came back [from Dresden] the 3d of July; it
was the first morning of the return of the soldiers,
and I found the town beautifully decorated with
triumphal arches, and with garlands and wreaths

Adventures of an Army Nurse 287

hung from every house. As the soldiers marched
through, the ladies, all dressed in the Saxon colors
(white and green) and looking very charming,
threw bouquets, and gave them beer and bread
and butter. The castle of Count Zokorisky (have
I told you about him?) was hung with garlands
and flags and looked splendid. Even the old ruins
were decorated.

The first regiment, the Crown Prince's favorite,
was quartered here. All the officers are noblemen,
and the people were, consequently, delighted to
have them. The sisters would not have officers,
so had each two or three soldiers, who were fed
and cared for like children. It seemed as if L.
could not do enough for them, — besides beer and
all sorts of things for dinner, they must have a
bottle of wine and cigars, and she was always
cooking for them.

I believe every day but one the city has given a
concert, sometimes ending with a dance. We go
at three with our work (the German women would
die without their knitting), and talk over coffee,
being always joined by some acquaintances. Not
the least amusing part is watching the people.
When we have been at home, we have had many
visitors; for L.'s husband was formerly in the
same regiment, and all the older officers were
friends. Twice we were serenaded, too; so with

288 fdventures of an Army Nurse

the continual repairs necessary to bring my shabby
wardrobe up to the required elegance, you can see
I had really not a moment to write.

For the Grand Review I received a ticket to
go with all those who nursed in the war. The
Tribune was especially for us; we all wore our
Sanitary scarf with the red cross, and there was
not a better place to see in all the city. I went
in from here [to Dresden] at six in the morning,
took coffee with the S.'s, and then drove in their
carriage to see the decorations of the city, which
were the finest I ever saw. This took two hours,
and we came back for breakfast at eleven. Then
we went to the Tribune, which was rather killing,
it was so hot, and it was twelve before the proces
sion began.

First came the king, a little, old, bent-up man
in uniform, looking not at all kingly; then the
queen, who looks good, with her daughter and
grand-daughter, the Crown Princess and Princess
George, who every one said was handsome, but
not one of whom looked so to me. I was so mad,
too, that they did n't have crowns on their heads
and sceptres in their hands, with spangled gar
ments, as we always see them painted. I know if
I were a queen, I 'd be one.

Processions are always alike, I suppose, but
really this did not seem half so fine as some I 've

Adventures of an Army Nurse 289

seen at home. I was quite disappointed in it. I
think, in the first place, the soldiers don't compare
with ours, and there was so little enthusiasm with
both the soldiers and the people. I remember the
review day [of the troops returned from the Civil
War] in Boston when every step was a heartfelt
ovation.

At nine in the evening we went out to see the
illuminations, which were n't very good, after all ;
and then came a thunder-gust and blew them all
out and sent us scampering home.

I am not even allowed to dress my hair ; every
thing is done for me as if I were a child, — and
such people! I suppose these grandees would be
shocked to know I had ever stood at a washtub
three days at a time. I, too, begin to forget all
about it, and already am very much like the young
damsel who forgot what a rake was.

[ Written to a child]

THARANT, July 26, 1871.

I must first of all tell you about the Children's
Festival (Kinder fest) yesterday, which was so
beautiful. Ever so many years ago somebody
died and left money to the city for giving every
year, in July, a festival to the children (that was
a good man, I 'm sure, and for that deed he must
have gone straight to heaven) ; so every July
that comes. Rich and poor all unite on that day.

19

290 Adventures of an Army Nurse

There were hundreds there; all the children must
have a wreath, and, however poor the mother is,
she will have a white, or pretty calico, dress for
the children. Even the babies in the wagons had
wreaths on. In the morning at five o'clock the
drum beats all through the town to waken them.
They are all washed and dressed neatly, but not
in their best (that comes later), and all meet in
the market-place, where they form a procession
and march with music and singing to the school
garden, where a tree is planted. They go all
through the town with banners (I forgot to say
that the teacher makes in the garden an address,
the preacher a prayer, and they sing a hymn, all
very short, but nice). The sheriff goes before
with two other officials, and orders everybody out
of the road.

After this they all go home for rest till three
o'clock, and then come together, old and young,
in a large garden here with a wonderful lawn, and
there they dance and play all sorts of plays, and
sing and have a feast, — a very simple one, beer
and a kind of buns, and bread and butter. Every
year they make a subscription among the people
and have a lottery; the teachers give each child
a ticket, and every one has a prize; and it 's so nice
to see the bright faces. They all go home in the
twilight as far as the market-place with music

Adventures of an Army Nurse 291

and banners; there the teachers say adieu, and
all the little white darlings scamper home with
their treasures. It was so pretty, and everybody
had such a good time.

The children here have such a pretty fashion;
after they have eaten, they go all around the table
and kiss the hands, and to the father and mother
they say, " I thank you for my dinner," or what
ever meal it is (ich danke filr mein Essen) ; is n't
it nice ? Another pretty thing is, the youngest one
at the table always is called upon to ask the bless
ing. It was so lovely the other day ; some friends
were here with a little girl of four years; she
folded her little white hands and spoke so rever
ently; it was beautiful.

This is a queer, quaint old town altogether;
a stream about ten feet wide runs through the
middle of it ; on each side is the street ; of course
it 's very crooked because it follows the stream.
Then everybody has put his house just where he
wanted it; so there are all sorts of angles, now
wide, now narrow. Nearly close behind the
houses rise the mountains, so most of the gar
dens are terraced up; the stream is crossed by
little foot-bridges, very shaky and badly railed;
so every now and then somebody tumbles in, and
is taken out with broken bones. This week a lady
died who fell in one dark night; but still nothing
is done about it.

292 Adventures of an Army Nurse

THARANT, July 28, 1871.

Sister L. has the most wonderful hens for lay
ing I have ever seen; I don't know what breed
they are; some are speckled and some black. She
always keeps ten and a cockerel (I 'm sure I don't
know how to spell that word) ; and from the first
of March till to-day they have laid seven hundred
and eighty eggs. Sister has a regular hen-book,
which is kept with such care; all she buys for
them and all they do. She is very methodical in
everything; indeed, I think all the people are
much more so than by us. Everything is kept
under lock; the sugar-bowl (or rather box) is
always locked, and the tea too. All the drawers
and closets, and even the comb and brush box, are
locked; for my life I can't get used to this cus
tom, and they are always running after me with
my keys, which I 'm sure to leave in the lock.

Sister gives her maid twenty thalers a year and
her living, and how she does have to work ! Ours
would think they must die with it all. Nobody
has carpets; so all the floors have to be scrubbed,
great brass door handles and locks must shine
every day, brass pots and pans for cooking in
numerable glisten like gold, every morning the
windows must all be wiped and very often washed.
Moreover, there are the hens to feed, the garden
to tend, all the ironing to do, and most of the

Adventures of an Army Nurse 293

washing, the stone stairs of the house from top
to bottom to whitewash once or twice a week, all
the errands to do, besides all the ordinary house
work, which is not light. What would Miss Biddy
say to this ? And all without a murmur. The ser
vant women save money, and some time will marry
and be able to buy a cow and pig, and perhaps a
dog and wagon to carry their milk to market.

STERNE, near PRAGUE, August 19, 1871.
I tried to write you before I left Tharant, but
it seemed impossible, for we would make the
house very fine for the mother when she comes
home. You see these Deutchers [sic] would go
on for hundreds of years and never move a chair
or table from its original place ; but I saw at once
so much that could be bettered. I took advantage
of L.'s absence and whisked everything about. M.
[Fratilein von Rohrscheidt] at first looked on in
surprise ; but pretty soon the same spirit came over
her, and, whit, the whole aspect of the house was
changed. We sawed down uncomfortable tables
and chairs, took off doors and hung curtains in
their place, and hung the mirrors so that people
could see their elegance in them. I knew if I
did not do all this myself, M. would never dare,
and I 'm sure L. will be pleased because I have
done it; she is quite foolish about me.

294 Adventures of an Army Nurse

The entrance to Prague is most beautiful,
especially through the Baumgarten, which is the
pleasure-ground; and the view of the city with
its hundred towers and its splendid castles can't
be described.

We got up ever so early, for the children (L. has
four) wanted to see the wonderful [great-] aunt
from America, and there was no sleeping after
they were awake. The moment we had coffee the
children were made ready, and we all came out
here with our work into this immense garden, —
" King's Garden ; " and here we have sat all day
long. Look where you will are groups of people
sitting at tables or on the grass, eating, drinking
beer, knitting, or sewing. Hand-organs are grind
ing, and everybody, when a drum is played, joins
in the wild dance, — mothers with their children,
maids with their little boys and girls ; it 's too
pretty.

This is a favorite summer place, with the most
abominable holes to sleep in; but nobody stays
a moment indoors. After they have had coffee,
all take dinner and supper here. Living is so
cheap in this land; there were to-day three of us
grown people and four children, and our whole
dinner — beer and all — cost not quite fifty cents;
and we had a right good one, — Schnitzel (veal
cooked in some good way); Dampfnudeln (I'll

Adventures of an Army Nurse 295

send you the receipt for them) ; beef with ale
sauce (which is real good), and beer. That I
don't drink, so I had a glass of white wine; but
you should see the Bohemians once drink — no,
not drink; they open their mouths and let it run
down, — men, women, and children. There has
been no rain here for some weeks, and the leaves
are falling from drought. The wells are kept
locked, and all the washing water must be bought
and brought up the steep hill on the backs of
these poor, overworked women in a kind of wooden
tub, which is so heavy. It makes my heart ache
to see how the poor must work here, especially the
women.

All the children here — the babies, I mean —
are wrapped up to the arms in a feather or down
pillow, which is bound around and around with
bright ribbon. Think of it, and the thermometer
at ninety; and when they go in the wagon they
are covered with a down cover besides. I want
to fight with every mother over this; but they all
say the babies would die without it.

Good-night; I hope you will sleep better than
I know I shall, with the windows closed and
with four children, a maid, and three grown
people in two little rooms; it is worse than the
prairie.

296 Adventures of an Army Nurse

THARANT, September 9, 1871.

Monday I took my last turn around the city
[Prague] and felt quite mournful that I should
not see it again. I wanted especially to visit the
old Jew quarter once more. With all its filth and
smells, it is most interesting. One is carried back
so far on seeing that old church which was built
in five or six hundred. One feels really dumb in
such a place.

I went once more to the Hradschin, the palace
of the kings for many centuries. I wanted to see
the hungry tower that no one else cared to visit,
they think it 's so horrible. On the first floor are
the cells where the state prisoners are confined for
life. Those are bad enough; but below them is
where those who were to die from hunger were
placed. Around the central hall are the smallest
kind of cells, where men were chained to an
immense beam running across a grated window.
Here they must listen unceasingly to the cries of
those chained in the circular hall to a stone bench
running around the chamber. In the middle of
this chamber is a round hole, which is the en
trance to another very deep cell, into which men
were lowered by a rope. One by one they were
let down into this hole to die of hunger, and those
above must hear the howls and ravings of these
wretches, unable to help them, and knowing it to

Adventures of an Army Nurse 297

be their fate also to die in the same way. Men
lived generally eight or nine days in the hunger
cell, and then the bodies were thrown into a still
deeper hole, and the stench from that made it even
more dreadful. I have no patience when one talks
of the " good old times."

I felt as if the dust of ages had settled on
me when I came out of Prague, all is so quaint
and " old-timey " there. Of all the places where
one can live cheaply, too, it is the first. For a
half-thaler a day one is luxurious. The wine
is delicious and too cheap, and the grapes are
displayed in piles; one can eat all he will for two
kreutzers.

When we got back here, the whole house was
hung with garlands and wreaths, the loveliest tea-
table was set out with flowers, and such a nice
supper was ready. The Sisters were here to wel
come us.

L. is the dearest soul in the world, but she has
lived in the narrowest circle, and is constantly
afraid of running against some old-time custom.
For instance, no lady was ever known to drive
here. Day before yesterday a Frau von K. offered
us her horse and carriage, but only three could go
in it ; so I said I 'd drive, and then we all three
could go. L. was horrified, said that had never
been known in the annals of Dutchland; and it

298 Adventures of an Army Nurse

took all my persuasive powers to coax her to go.
Now she must explain to every one that American
ladies are so independent, and that the richest and
most elegant all do so there. It's so absurd. I
hope I sha'n't do anything to disgrace my nation
ality, but I feel strongly tempted sometimes to do
something outrageous. Now the ice is broken, I
shall have many good rides about this beautiful
country, for Sister was overjoyed at my not land
ing her in a ditch, and will gladly go again.

THARANT, November 20, 1871.

We went to a grand tea-party one night last
week. First place, as soon as we came in, tea
seasoned with vanilla was handed round, with
cake and Zweiback, a kind of rusk. Then cards,
talk, and a little music; and at nine supper, in
cluding five kinds of sausage (Wurst), herring
salad, Russian salad, sour " gouegous " (pickles
done like Sauerkraut), roast veal cold, roast mut
ton, coffee, two or three kinds of cake, wine,
grapes, and pears, cold chicken, jelly, and, last of
all, Sandtorte, the most horrible old cake made
out of potato meal, that everybody thinks is too
nice; it's just like sand. After this more cards,
music, and talk ; consequently a very wakeful
night and a fit of indigestion next day.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 299

THARANT, Sunday, November, 1871.

Once a week we all meet and sew for some
poor children, and on Tuesdays is the Erhol-
ung, when all the aristocrats meet in a hall.
Till tea, we have reading, singing, or theatricals,
and after that the old folks retire to the walls,
and the young ones dance till nearly morning.
These have only just commenced, and promise to
be quite nice, — but the ceremony ! At the last
one there were seven Earls, and I don't know how
many Barons, most of them being students in the
Forest Academy, besides so many from the town!
This would give some of our people who come
abroad talk for a lifetime. " My friend the Earl,
etc. — " Somehow I 'm not a bit impressed with
the imposing situation. I see nobody more ele
gant and truly aristocratic than I know at home,
who are only Mr. and Mrs. ; but I really do enjoy
seeing the life here, and I have come to be very
critical, though I keep my thoughts to myself.

On the twelfth is to be the great ball of the
year, where I expect to be overwhelmed with the
greatness of the occasion. It 's the king's birth
day. I 'm so mad ; I 'm considered too old to
dance! Of course I really am, but I do like to
so much. However, the next best thing is to get
beside some other pleasant old lady or man and
laugh over all one sees. It 's rather the fashion

300 Adventures of an Army Nurse

to talk with me just now, as I 'm the first Ameri
can woman who has ever been here in society, and
it is rather refreshing, I guess, to see something
or somebody new. I think I ought to go about
with a striped dress, and with a liberty cap on my
head, for everywhere I go I am known only as
"The American;" the children all call me "Tante
Amerika; " and as I 'm always presented as " my
sister from America," I 'm more often addressed
as " Frau Amerika " than by any other name. In
France I was always called " Madame Amerique,"
so I have to mind my P's and Q's that I do noth
ing to discredit my dear land.

THARANT, February i, 1872.

I feel sorry that I have not written for so long;
but, you see, when a fellow goes every night to
a party or ball, and all the day has to make ball-
plunder between the gaps, how can he write? I
never dreamed I could come to such a life; truly,
for the last twelve days we have not been a single
night at home. I 'm at my wits' ends what I shall
wear. I have turned and twisted my whole ward
robe many times; for one can't wear the same
thing twice, and the fortune that is spent in deco
rations! I think every family has given or will
give a ball, besides the Erhohmg and theatricals
and coffee. I have been invited to two private

Adventures of an Army Nurse 301

balls in Dresden, besides, where were the Crown
Prince and Prince George, with their wives; but
I had to decline; it would cost more than I pos
sess to buy toilettes for them.

I wish somebody who really liked great people
had my chance. I 'm sure they 'd come home
quite set up with their titled friends. I suppose
I 'm too old to appreciate such things ; anyway, I
don't find I have any taste for the great world.
I am sure, though, if I were young and handsome I
should be entirely spoiled ; for everywhere I go I
receive so much attention. But I 'm more con
tented to sit in a corner and see all, and have
something to tell you about when I come home.

Sister is in the city; she is full of business
these days, as she gives a great dinner on my
birthday (Saturday). All the family are invited,
and she has been cooking for it the entire week;
the house is scoured from top to bottom, fresh
curtains are everywhere, and garlands and flowers.
Such a fuss ! You would think it was the queen's
instead of my birthday; and when I think of the
contrast, I don't believe it is I who write it. We
are to dine in the big room upstairs, and all the
best china and glass is already there.

If J. does n't come and take me, I shall go to
Russia to tend the wounded, if the talked-of war
with England comes off, — unless we have the

302 Adventures of an Army Nurse

predicted war with Spain, when, of course, I shall
immediately find the place where I am needed.
My last experience in France has given me many
new ideas with regard to the treatment of wounds ;
my long rest and good feeding have given me
strength to go through a great deal ; and my idle
ness has made me long for something really ear
nest to do. I feel like a wild horse with the bit in
the mouth. Of course I don't dare speak with the
sisters about all this ; they can't even hear of my
going anywhere. J. is too funny; she is just
such a lover as Gustav was, and I never open
my mouth to speak that she does not fix her eyes
on me. She often says, " Yes, Marie, I know now
how Gustav loved you." The sisters all have said
so much about me that it makes the people here
most attentive to me. Everywhere I go, you 'd
think the queen had come. Then, too, I suppose
my hodge-podge language is amusing.

THARANT, February 3, 1872.

I am just as happy as I can be this evening, and
you too will be for me when I tell you that I have
at last what I have so long wished for, — a gold
watch. This has been such a pleasant day. The
morning was beautiful, as the 3d of February
always is. Sister and M. came to me very early
with such heartfelt wishes, and I found a birth-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 303

day cake and many flowers when I went to break
fast. Then came my little maid, Minna Batch,
with a wreath and a picture of a ship, and the
best wishes written in a very crabbed little hand
by herself. The others all came together, and all
brought me flowers. The dinner was splendid.
Many toasts were drunk. We drank many times
to you all at home; then, after dinner, coffee and
a good quiet talk together ; and so we sat till nine,
when they went home. I 've had telegrams and
letters from all the relations, and feel quite set up
with the fuss they have made over me.

THARANT, May 16, 1872.

This has been such a long, dreary time. I did
not tell you why I wrote so little, for I would not
make you' anxious ; but Sister L. has been so sick
we have not hoped she could ever be well. I found
it was better that one of us took the house ; so, of
course, I did. I 've had a regular siege of cook
ing and general housework, for our one maid is
generally running errands. There are, in a Ger
man house, five regular meals to get: the morn
ing coffee and rolls, the nine-o'clock breakfast,
the twelve-o'clock dinner, coffee and cake at three,
and the Fesperbrod, — consequently much dish
washing and cooking, besides providing for the
outside company coming at unreasonable times.

304 Adventures of an Army Nurse

At night, moreover, coffee and something to eat
for the watchers. I 've done it all with real good
will, for no one else could, since M. has not left
her mother for a moment. She was so sick, and
such doctors ! The first is the family doctor, —
not so bad when one is not much sick. We all
wanted another doctor, however, so he said we
must have the one he usually consulted with. I
wonder if any of you are old enough to remember
an old doctor that used to come to see Grandma
Phinney ? I can't recall his name ; but he was un
common fat, had great warts on his nose, stuffed
it forever with snuff, coughed and wheezed, and
had his pockets full of herbs and things that smell
so bitter and nasty. Well, this second doctor was
just his twin cherry. He came and thumped and
punched a little, and said it was rheumatism, with
a high degree of cold. We must sweat it out; so
he ordered that she be wrapped from head to toe in
tow smoked with Wickrauch [vetch-smoke (?)],
if you know what that is. I only know it smells
good, and is used as incense in Catholic churches.
Think what that poor soul endured for eighteen
hours; even the hands were packed. At the end
of that time she lost all patience and hope, and
said she would willingly die, but she would not
suffer that a moment longer. We, too, were
past all patience, and finally telegraphed to the

Adventures of an Army Nurse 305

son in Dresden to bring out a new-school doctor.
He came with a good one, who examined Sister
thoroughly; and from that time, with his treat
ment, she began to mend.1

THARANT, August 19, 1872.

Our ride home [from Prague] was too pleasant;
such a nice day, but we had one adventure. Mr.
C. [an American] must rush out at Bodenbach
for a cigar. Waiting for his change made him
late, so he jumped on after the starting of the
cars, which is a high crime here. Of course the
people called out; some said, "Jump off," and
others, " Hang on tight." He, not understanding,
was quite cool, and was making his way towards
me, when it whistled down-brakes. The cars
stopped and he walked in. Then you should
have heard the storm, — the conductors all talk
ing together, and the Inspector furious. Mr. C.
sat cool, and it only made them madder. I told
them he could not understand, that he was an
American, and " sich like." They said they did
not care what he was; but when I appealed to
their mercy, saying that I was alone there, they
consented to let him go on, and we thought it
was all over. On arriving at Dresden, however,
the door was thrown open, the Inspector of the

1 She survived, however, only about two months.
20

306 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Dresden Station rushed in and said Mr. C. must
come with him, as a telegram that he must be
punished had been received, and marched him off.
Of course a big crowd collected, and everybody
hollered, and nobody stopped to hear, till I got
the floor and told them how it all happened ; that,
as he spoke only English, all was lost on him.
" I '11 make him hear," the official roared, and
called for some other Inspector who could speak
English. The man came, and after much conver
sation they finally condescended to forgive him,
with particular injunctions never to do so again.
He said very meekly he wouldn't! and the dis
appointed crowd dispersed.

THARANT, October 24, 1872.

The ride to Neumark is so nice, and I saw
for the first time Schonfels [birthplace of Herr
von Olnhausen], which is on the route. You can
think how I felt on seeing it. The two old castles
can be seen far and wide; and, what is more, I
was not one bit disappointed in them. After we
got home [to Zwickau] we sat long in the twilight,
and talked of ghosts and old times, till one began
to feel cold chills over the back, as if ghosts of
frozen mice were walking around ; and the old pic
tures looked even more hideous than by daylight.
It was proposed to go up to the garrets and hunt

Adventures of an Army Nurse 307

for spectres. Some one said we must have a lan
tern, and just as I remarked, " No ghosts, of
course, bring their own lanterns," the door opened
slowly and one stalked in. You will not believe
how we were all startled to see this immensely
tall, white woman floating in with a lantern nearly
a yard high and half as large round, a very ghost
of a lantern. We all started up, for we had not
missed Arthur, who had quietly stepped out, and,
remembering these old things stored away, had
improvised the whole scene.

Monday morning at nine S. sent the carriage
to take us to Schonfels. It 's about an hour's ride
from Zwickau. We had many wreaths for the
dead there, so first of all we went to the Pastor's
to get the key to the tomb. Here it seemed like
some old dream; the loveliest little woman, so
young and fresh and bright, came out of the
kitchen and said she was the wife and would call
her man. Soon he came down from his study, a
bean ideal of a German preacher, so intellectual
and so simple in manner. The house was a pic
ture of neatness and comfort. She brought us
wine and cakes, and invited us to come and dine
with them; but we had our own dinner with us,
and we wanted that day to dine alone in the
castle. The Pastor went with us to the church
yard and opened the vault, which was hung with

308 Adventures of an Army Nurse

garlands for one of the old Hempels who left a
sum of money with which to give the children a
feast every year. So each year the children walk
in procession, carrying wreaths and garlands, the
vault is opened, and every tomb is decorated. This
is n't an Olnhausen tomb ; they are all buried in
Wiirttemberg.

Then we went to see the old church, which, by
the way, was so injured by the earthquake last
March that the tower had to be taken down and
the whole rebuilt. It 's full of interesting old
monuments and slabs, flags and battle relics.
After this we started on our pilgrimage, first, of
course, to New Schonfels.

I don't believe a pilgrim to Jerusalem or Mecca
ever felt more deeply than I did on nearing the
long-talked-of home of Gustav. The owner knew
J., and gave us permission to go all over the place.
The house is inhabited only at night, the old man
and woman going there to sleep; so we were un
disturbed. Everything remains nearly as when
the Olnhausens sold it. The man has grown
poorer every day, so nothing has been done to
improve it; the old stag horns still hang in the
hall, — such horns as one never sees now, — and
stuffed birds shot by hands long dead are still
ranged around. The same old papers on the walls
and the immense wardrobes of polished oak, some

Adventures of an Army Nurse 309

of them so beautifully carved. Gustav seemed to
be by my side all the time. How often he has
described it all to me! The old nut-trees that he
loved so much are all dead; but the clock-tower
is just as it was, and the old clock still rings out
the hours to the village below. It must have been
splendid in old times. The immense hall, on en
tering, and the broad old stairway are so fine, and
there is such a view from the windows. We wan
dered about the park for a couple of hours, and
on our return the old lady had a cup of coffee,
and such bread and butter for us as I have not
tasted in Germany. Her husband is most anxious
to sell the place. When we came away, he brought
me down one of the stuffed hawks as a remem
brance from the old place (another trap!).

Then we went to the other castle, the von
Roemers'. This is much higher and much older,
and remains just as it was built. It is round,
enclosing a court with very few windows on the
outside, an old tower rising from the centre, bal
conies all around from the first story, and such
a gloomy aspect inside, — just the tower and walls
with the irregular windows. The old stairs lead
ing to the chapel are so neglected, covered with
the same stones, old bones, and clumps of grass,
bits of broken glass, and spider-webs that have
been there for hundreds of years. There is one

3 1 o Adventures of an Army Nurse

large hall where the whole Roemer family must
meet once a year to hold council over the gains
and what shall be done with them. The senior
of the family has a right to live here, but hardly
any one in his senses would do so. J. was mar
ried here, and, as she is the senior's widow, has
a right to live here always. She tried it for some
years, but finally gave up her right.

They have lately dug up an old member who
had long disappeared. He was a watchmaker
[(?) manufacturer of watches], and has lived
long in England. He finally announced his ex
istence, and as it is a law in the family that they
must pass some time of the year in Saxony or be
not recognized any longer, he came and fitted up
a few rooms splendidly, and has been here three
months, and goes now back to Berlin. We sent
up our names and he gave us permission to enter.
Everybody has much curiosity about him, he lives
so entirely alone; so we were most anxious to see
the old lion and his den. He came forward very
politely, and we tried our best to make him hear.
He put his hand up and said, " I 'm a little deaf."
No adder was ever deafer. I bawled my best and,
though he spoke English, which I tried at last, he
only stared the harder at me and said "What?"
in such an unearthly tone it took my wits all away.
So I left him to J., who managed to bring it into
his head what she wanted.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 1 1

He got the key, finally, and was a fit warder
for such an old rumple of a castle, — a little, thin,
dirty, brown old man with a very brown wig and
white bristly hair cropping out, and such a wheez
ing and shaky tone; and such a suspicious look
as he cast upon us every now and then, — on me
particularly, as I was n't a Roemer and could n't
make him hear. I wanted to go into the cellars,
which are very deep and large, but Sister has not
the taste for such things, and nobody in the castle
has ever been there; so I was obliged to come
away unsatisfied. All around the wall is the old
moat, of course long empty. Indeed I can't see
where they ever found water to fill it. Outside is
such a delightful walk on the banks looking out
far as one can see, the other castle, the church,
and the village all beneath you, and on hills away
off other old castles. It was a splendid view, and
enough in itself to pay for the clamber up the
hills; but everything is so neglected and dirty,
-even the village looks more like a Bohemian
than a German one. By the time we came down
the hill I felt a thousand years old, and the day
seemed endless. As we went along, the people
came out from every house and greeted the
gnddige Frau.

A. took us to Neumark, much to my chagrin,
where we took tea with the family and then rode

3 1 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

late into town, bewildered, tired, and actually be
witched, so that all night I could not tell if I
were waking or sleeping. Tuesday S. sent the
carriage to take us to breakfast, and then she,
the sisters, and I took a most delightful walk to
the world-famous swan lake. Perhaps you 've all
read the fairy story of the swan Knight ; l here is
the very place where it all happened. I am going
to translate and send it to you if you have n't.
It 's so pretty, and is about as long as Walden
Pond [Thoreau's "Walden"]. Many swans are
there, and gay little boats, and a big restaurant,
and pretty paths all about; it is the pride and
glory of Zwickau.

THARANT, December 8, 1872.

I write with ashes of humility on my head to
think of my being hateful so long, and I have
so many things to write about too. I never ex
pected, after the week I spent in Dresden (which
was the golden wedding2 one), that I should wait
so long to tell about it. The Thursday of that
week was the christening of A.'s child, to which,
of course, we were invited, — M. to stand god
mother and I to help eat. There were six in the
christening party. M.'s partner was a jolly man,

1 The story of Lohengrin ? The arms of Zwickau are quartered
with swans and castles, and the name of the city is (erroneously)
said to be derived from cygnus,

? Of the King and Queen of Saxony.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 1 3

Herr von W., who did not know how to hold the
baby, and was withal so ashamed to do it; for,
you see, everybody who stands up has to take the
infant by turns.

The table around which they stood was trimmed
lovelily with flowers, and there stood upon it a fine
bouquet and the water. The minister, in robes,
spoke for more than half an hour, giving a full
history of baptism and its consequences, — which
was drier than dust, — besides a prayer or two.
Then the maid held the baby while the six people
held a lace veil over it, upon which the Pastor
sprinkled water as he named it. Then he took the
child, crossed and blessed it, and the thing was
done.

They had a splendid supper and nice wine, and,
last of all, the ice with a stork upon it. The belief
is that whoever makes the stork fall will have the
next baby. It fell to a young and very diffident
doctor, who did not get over blushing all the
evening. The young people danced and had a
real gay time till two o'clock. I was sleepy
enough to want to go home then, but the others
stayed later and had another supper.

Next morning we went to see the decorations,
which, on the whole, were tasteless enough, only
that so many flags flying are always beautiful.
The streets were crowded, with fine equipages

3 1 4 Adventures of an Army Nurse

rolling about. The people from out of Dresden
were having audiences and bringing in the pres
ents, so we saw much fine dressing; and fleas and
noise were abundant. We were tired enough by
two o'clock, and glad to get home. We had a
good dinner and rest till evening, when we took
another turn to see the illumination. This, after
all, was not much, for the real sight was reserved
till the emperor should come.

Every window had busts of the queen and king ;
in one of them the wreaths had got pushed out of
place, and it had such a funny effect. This old
lady with her nightcap on (for it looked just so,
though I suppose it really was of superb lace),
with one eye covered, looked uncommonly drunk,
and he looked so rowdy I laughed and remarked
upon it. This frightened L. so. " For God's
sake, don't; if the police hear you, it will bring
trouble; " whereat I shut up, having a holy horror
of policemen.

The next morning we stayed at home, reserv
ing our strength for after dinner, when we were
to go to see the Emperor arrive. We got splendid
places despite the immense crowd. We had many
invitations to go to houses of our friends, but I
preferred being on the street, so we went over to
the Neu Stadt, on the square. The first thing I did
was to make friends with a policeman, who gave

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 1 5

us a front place and kept every one from coming
before us. There were some officers near who knew
everybody and named them to us as they came
along. We were so close, as they all passed in
open carriages, that we could have shaken hands,
and we got special bows ; but I cared most to see
our Saxon king, who is a noble old man, so good
and wise. He has the saddest, sweetest expres
sion. You know he is very learned in all sciences
and is still a great student.

Sunday we were early in the street. This was
the wedding day, and oh, the crowds! You see
the streets are so narrow all about the Schloss
that it seems much larger (the crowd, I mean) ;
and such a hateful crowd, too, knocking and push
ing. I was glad to find a corner where I could
see a little. At last I told them I should go into
the church. They all said it was impossible; but
who ever knew a Yankee who did n't do the im
possible? So I screwed round to the back of the
church, where the men go in, and pushed slowly
along through the crowd till I got a good sight
of the king and queen. Just then it began to rain,
the people rushed in, and with a great surge I
was pushed forward, unable even to move my feet,
directly to the line held by the soldiers right in
front of the whole party. Here I could see every
one of them so nicely, — the king and queen kneel-

3 1 6 Adventures of an Army Nurse

ing together in one window, the empress alone in
another, and all the other dignitaries. A group of
officers stood near, and one of them told me who
they all were. Was n't this my usual extra luck ?
But, oh, that music! If they have such music in
heaven, one ought to want to go straight there.
One would think the firing of the cannons and
ringing of the bells would spoil it all, but it only
made it all the more wonderful. I always shall
rejoice that I was permitted to hear it. The king
and queen both looked so sorrowful. After an
hour they went away ; but the crowd did n't, as
High Mass was celebrated; and I was glad I had
to stay, for the whole music was so splendid.

[Immediately after the golden wedding followed
a short visit to Berlin.]

Monday morning we went to more sight-seeing,
and after dinner I called on Dr. R., who was not
at home, to my disappointment. From there I
went over to the hospital where my men were left
when I came back to Berlin. At first, though I
told them the date and some of the names, they
were quite indifferent, and said they doubted if
they could find them, it was so far back. Old
lazy things! Besides, it was after visiting hours.
Thereupon a young man who was sitting there
rose and said : " I know the names, Herr In
spector; this generous lady nursed us all in that

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 1 7

terrible time in Vendome. I was one of them." I
was so pleased and surprised, and, as he stood
on two legs and was so tall and fine looking, of
course could not recognize him; but he told me
(with some look of sorrow that I had forgotten
him) that he was one of my amputated men, and
had come back that same day to have his wooden
leg better fitted. Of course I had only seen him
bolstered up in bed, very pale and sick. Then
everybody flew round most politely, and an older
officer, the head of the hospital, came out and
took my hand, thanking me for what I had done.
Very soon I had the list of every man made out.
Only one was dead, — the one wounded in the
thigh; the others had long been at home. The
officer told me they had often enough spoken of
me, and said some other things very pleasant to
hear. My Pole, too, said good-bye with tears in
his eyes, so I had a very comfortable ride home.

MENTONE, FRANCE, February 7, 1873.
About four we left [Milan] for Genoa. You
cannot conceive of anything more forlorn than the
route, — just like our marshes, only the ditches are
planted with willows. It began to rain, too, and a
German gentleman gave me just at dark the de
lightful information that about nine we would come
to a place where a tunnel was broken through,

3 1 8 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and where we must all get out and take ourselves
for a two hours' ride over the mountains. I wish
I could describe this getting out in a pouring
rain, every step over one's boots in mud, men and
women screaming in every tongue, pulling you and
knocking you, cursing every moment, barely escap
ing being run over by such miserable beasts, too,
and finally being thrust into an omnibus with five
others in pitch darkness with a pair of horses that
had evidently been trained to go on only two legs
at once, the snapping of whips and shouting of
drivers and jolting of the carriage into holes that
seemed deep enough to swallow us, lighted up
now and then by the glare of a torch or a great
linen lantern (really coarse linen stretched over
an iron frame with a candle inside), soldiers stag
gering along, for we had a regiment with us and
they must all walk the whole route. Oh, dear! I
know you can't conceive of it all, and I 'm sure I
can't tell it. They say it is a splendid route by
day, the view from the hills is so fine; but at
night I would rather refuse to try it twice. Some
of the carriages came to grief, but ours stood the
test, and finally there was another struggle and
howling till we were again seated in the cars,
and were glad some time in the night to arrive
at Genoa, so " dead beat " that I could have slept
anywhere.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 3 1 9

As I left next morning (Friday) at eight, I
had no chance to see the town at all, except the
beautiful sea; and how welcome it was to me
after hungering and thirsting so long for a sight
of it. Nobody seemed to have any very definite
ideas of the route; some said it was just impas
sable, some said we could not come through to
Nice in two days ; but I determined to try. There
have been bad storms, and the road has been in
jured much. Of course, like all Italian roads, it 's
about half built ; but it was not so very bad. Two
or three times we had to get out and walk over
the worst places, and we poked along slowly; but
we arrived at Nice at ten, having had the pleas
ure of having our trunks searched at the frontier
town.

I drove to the Hotel Luxembourg, where I found
Mrs. C. expecting and waiting for me. I was glad
to have the first interview over before I went to
bed; for I dreaded it, not knowing what sort of
a " critter " I should find her to be. To my de
light she was nice and cordial, and seemed so glad
to see me that I was entirely contented.

ROME, March 23, 1873.

I never saw such solemn people as in Rome.
No New England town can beat it, for there at
least you see contentment; but here extreme dis-

320 Adventures of an Army Nurse

content, only the beggars looking bright when they
have finally, with much screaming and running
after, succeeded in forcing a coin from you. But
you don't get rid of them as you hoped even then ;
for they still run and keep up the din, hoping to
fool you twice. A Miss J. that I know here is
very funny ; she said after a while she would give
only to the gray-haired ones; and then, she be
lieved, every beggar in Rome put on a gray wig.
Then she would give only to the babies ; and every
man, woman, and child appeared with one. A.
says she will give only to the blind, but it seems
as if every one was blind ; and even her good heart
was shaken when she had no more coppers, and
the blind man, opening his eyes, began to curse her.

While in Italy, Mrs. von Olnhausen received
the Iron Cross.1 This, like the Victorian Cross, is
given for high bravery or special acts of noble
service, and has been but sparingly presented. It
is believed that Miss Clara Barton is the only
other American woman who has received it. Ac
companying the Cross was the following letter : —

IMPERIAL PRUSSIAN EMBASSY.

DRESDEN, February 15, 1873.

Since His Imperial and Royal Majesty has deigned
to confer by means of a supreme order of the sixth

1 The Order of the Iron Cross was established by Frederick
William of Prussia in 1813. It was revived by King William, Jan
uary 19, 1870.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 321

of January of this year upon your ladyship the Cross
of Service for women and maidens, I have the honor,
in obedience to an order of the Imperial Chancellor,
to send to you hereby the Insignia in question and
also a document for the Constitution of the Order,
with the most obedient request to let the latter be
returned to me after the separate rubrics of the same
have been filled out.

May your ladyship receive the assurance of my
sincere respect.

The Royal Prussian Charge d'Affaires,

( Signature. )

To Her Ladyship

The widow MRS. VON OLNHAUSEN, per Tharand.

Later she received a war-medal (of silver) for
non-combatants, together with a certificate for her
services; and earlier she seems to have been pre
sented with a medal of a more general character.
After her return to America, a decoration still
more rarely given, described as a Cross of Merit,
was forwarded to her, but never reached her. At
the time of Prince Henry's visit this was called
to his attention by some friend of hers; and it
was promised that another cross would be sent
to her. Her death so soon followed that the
promise, even had it been remembered, could not
have been redeemed.

THARANT, May, 1873.

I must tell you about the wedding. Have you
ever heard of Polterabend? The night before

21

322 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the wedding everybody who will give presents is
expected to come and personate some character,
or deliver an original poem, or do something to
make fun for the others when he presents his gift.
Generally, too, they dance till morning. All day
long the relatives from a distance were arriving,
— all sorts of big folks, with much gold lace and
decorations on the men, and fine old lace and
diamonds on the women. It was a hateful thing
to me to have to be introduced to such a crowd.
We went at six, still bright light and everybody
gowned stunningly. Nobody else had the Iron
Cross, so I felt more dressed than they.

For an hour or two it was the hardest work I
ever did to get any one to talk; but after the tea
(delightfully flavored with vanilla!) came in, we
began to get more cheerful. In fact I guess they
were all hungry and cold, for it had rained all
day. Then the chairs were arranged as for tab
leaux, and the presents were brought in. Some
of the girls came in peasant costumes of their
district, and had got some clever person to write
verses, which were delivered in a half-scared,
stumbling way, but which still sounded very good.
One came as a flower-girl, brought a foot-stove
covered with flowers, and spoke some very neat
verses particularly well. Then came two for
esters, classmates of Roemer, with big sacks on

Adventures of an Army Nurse 323

their backs and axes in hand. They had a long
address, which was pinned up on the wall just
outside the door, and first one and then the other
took up the discourse as one or the other lost his
place. It was very funny, each one striving to
get near the writing and never once looking at
the bridal pair. They are both full of wit, grace
ful, and handsome. One had in his sack a
splendid card-press, with counters and all sorts
of things elegantly carved from wood, with the
Roemer crest above all ; the other had a beer- jug
and glasses of white and green Bohemian crystal,
and a waiter for them of carved wood with the
arms at either side. One young forester came as
a fox, and made such a nice, foxy speech. He
ambled in and out so queerly, and pulled the
string of his mouth with his paw when he talked,
and insisted upon shaking hands at parting. His
present was a dozen silver-topped corks, repre
senting all sorts of animals and birds, on a silver
stand, with a corkscrew of silver.

At nine we had supper, and then every one
seemed contented and glad. Roast veal, tongue,
ham, salad, ice, and various half-sweet Dutch
things that I don't usually gorge myself on, and
a big bowl of punch which made everybody very
merry. I must not forget one of the old Polter-
abend customs. All the outside friends come and

324 Adventures of an Army Nurse

dash against the door all sorts of crockery; such
a smashing as one hears all the time! The more
beloved one is, the more is smashed. Everybody
saves up his old broken ware for such occasions.
We could hardly get out when we would go
home.

We left in a pouring rain, and woke up in the
morning to find it still pouring. It was too bad,
for the church stands so high and has no road to
it. The hour was to be twelve, and we were all
to walk in procession the whole way from the
house with bare heads. The bridal veil did not
come; it was promised the night before, but, of
course, failed; so they waited and waited. The
bells began to ring, but the Pastor was notified
that he must wait awhile. At last a woman with
a dog-cart came flying along with the veil, and
the toilet was made. Then the bridegroom was
not ready. In the mean time came messages from
the bell-ringers saying they were worn out, as was
the parson too. At the foot of the hill it rained
like sixty, and we had to rush into the school for
shelter, much to the disturbance of the scholars.
There we had an eternity to wait, till finally we
began the ascent between the drops. The little
girls were to strew flowers, but they quite forgot
to do it, they were so taken up with their fine
dresses.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 325

The church was crowded and as cold as a cellar,
and everybody had a red nose and wet feet. The
parson discoursed a full hour, mostly upon the
greatness of the old Roemer house and upon its
honors; and was too stupid for anything. Then
the same rain to go back in as far as where we
could take the carriages. The dinner was at the
hotel at the end of the town. Over fifty guests
were at table, and there was a constant ringing
of glasses and wandering about drinking toasts.
So it was rather a confused time, and some of
the dresses were quite ruined. After the hearty
part of the dinner was over, one of the bridesmen
and maids (as the custom is here) went up to
the bride, took off the veil and wreath, and put
on a jaunty cap, making a very nice speech that
" she is no longer young Fran, but wife become,"
and wishing all sorts of good and noble wishes.

After dessert the happy pair were to go to
their temporary home, one of their vineyards,
where they are to pass two weeks. They found
their coachman was in a drunken sleep, and it
took long to arouse him ; so they were an hour
late, and after the first adieus, came back and
took ices and coffee. Then there came a thunder
storm ; but finally they started, and then the rest
danced out the bride's wreath and the groom's
bouquet to see who would be the next bride and

326 Adventures of an Army Nurse

groom. After that, somebody had the temerity
to propose a dance; so the Pastor left and the
mamma and the sisters retired to the next room,
and the others danced till eleven, when we were
all glad to go home.

THARANT, June 6, 1873.

I forgot; I have a pleasant piece of news for
you. Sorge [a brother-in-law] sent especially for
me to come in, and when I came, appeared with all
his orders on and presented me with one that he
had been commanded to give me, together with a
certificate of my services in the war.1 I was so
surprised and delighted, too; so now you see I
have two from the good old emperor, and, if I
don't love him forever, whom can I love? I have
my photograph taken with them both, and so soon
as they are done shall send you one. I know it 's

1 BERLIN, June 14, 1873.

It gives the undersigned Department great pleasure to be able to
send to Mrs. Mary Olnhausen of Lexington, North America, the
war medal for 1870-71 for non-combatants and also the certificate
for the great service which she has rendered the wounded ; which
[medal and certificate] were granted to her by the supreme cabinet
order of December 19 of last year.

Your most honorable body is most obediently requested to pre
pare the respective Insignia for the lady in question according to
agreement.
War Department — Military Medical Department.

(Signature.) (Signature.)

To the Royal High Commissioner of Buildings,

Honorable Mr. SORGE, Dresden.

Adventures of an Army Nurse 327

the stupidest vanity, but everybody here insisted
so that I did it.

THARANT, June 8, 1873.

Your letter of the i8th of May came yesterday
in the midst of very dirty work ; and I was so glad
both for the letter and a chance to rest a little, for
M. and I were grubbing in the cellars. We are,
of course, very busy now preparing for the auc
tion, which comes to-morrow week, and such a
pile of useless old things as were brought to light
could only be found in a German house. I see
more than ever how much sentiment is wasted in
this world. Both Sister and her M. would never
bring themselves to destroy or even part with any
thing that had ever had any sentiment for them
or anybody dear to them; and see now a most
unsentimental American comes and, without one
bit of heart in the matter, ruthlessly tears, burns,
and destroys the ganze thing. M. looks on as if
it were a church sacrilege; she won't bring her
self to help in the deed, but silently acquiesces.

We were all invited to a coffee-party, and as
they would not go without me, I had to go
against my will. If I were a good mimic, I could
make you laugh over it. I never saw so many
comical people together. Two sisters, Fraiilein

von , somebody ought to picture them ! In

the first place two such original styles of homeli-

328 Adventures of an Army Nurse

ness exist nicht. One is the energetic sort, head
very far back set; talks housekeeping and maids
unendlessly; eyes so wide open you don't catch
her napping; masterful of everybody, her maid
don't crib much from her; talks herself red in
the face over the slightest thing, and sees-out like
a mad dog if she is a little opposed; knows the
whole gossip of every house in town, with the
deepest sympathy inquires over one's most tender
affairs, and gives advice on all occasions. The
other has alarmingly red cheeks, but otherwise
pale; holds her head forward, a bischen sunken
in such a deprecatory manner, and always acqui
esces, — jah, jah, going on all the time in a sort of
monotone that is a little wearing. Na! you must
see that. Evidently they like beaux, and they are
always adjusting something.

The lady of the house, too, is a character. She
is constantly forgetting names, and gets hope
lessly confused ; and her two daughters are always
trying to put her right, which, of course, always
goes wrong. Those coffees are, anyway, not the
most agreeable things; and then one is expected
to eat such a succession of fatty sweets that one
must have dyspepsia for a week afterwards. I
know I was just glad when seven o'clock came
and we could go home.

The holidays lasted three days; on the third,

Adventures of an Army Nurse 329

one of those sisters (the submissive one) came
out from Dresden in the evening train with her
maid; when in the depot a drunken student seized
her, and another her maid, and compelled them to
dance. Imagine the scene, — this dignified gentle
woman, protesting all the while, being wheeled
around in such an undignified manner, and the
whole crowd looking on and enjoying it.

THARANT, July i6> 1873.

The 1 4th I went in to Thode's [her banker],
and he telegraphed a second time for the " Mara
thon," 3 ist; and this morning I have the answer
that my berth is engaged; so now it's about cer
tain I shall sail in that. I shall allow about a week
for the journey to Liverpool, as I want to stop a
day in Hamburg, and, if possible, see a little of
at least one city in England. London is out of
the question. I shall take the shortest and cheap
est route ; and, anyway, now I am certain of going
home, I shall not enjoy much that I see. It is a
very exciting time with me now. The parting
from my friends here is very hard, and yet the
desire to see you all quite deadens the pain.

CHAPTER XI

THE " wonderful aunt from America "
might have remained many years on
the other side of the Atlantic and have
found an unflagging welcome in the households of
her late husband's kin. As her later letters make
clear, however, she was eager to get home; not
simply because of a natural wish to see her own
people, but also and chiefly because long-continued
idleness had become irksome to her. Her first
thought, therefore, after recovering from the ex
citement of the home-coming, was to find some
position where she might be usefully employed
and might at the same time earn her own living.
Independence, both in purse and in dwelling-place,
was essential to her happiness. At any time during
the remaining thirty years of her life, shelter and
leisure in the homes of her many relatives would
gladly have been hers; but however welcome she
might be, such a life was practically impossible
to her. She could scarcely exist in an ordinary
household. She must have her own gods about
her, must keep her own house — however tiny —
in her own Bohemian way. Possessing hosts of

Adventures of an Army Nurse 331

friends, she must be able to have them always
about her and to entertain them with " picnics "
of her own devising. She must be free to go
about visiting, to the theatre, upon expeditions of
all kinds without question except of her own good
sense, and without responsibility except to her own
high breeding. Above all, she hated the thought
of dependence upon others for her daily bread.
So to the very end of her long life she earned that
bread herself ; J and even after her eightieth year,
when the fact of her living by herself was a source
of great anxiety to her friends, she could not be
persuaded to give up the independence which, sur
rounded by her " traps," she so much enjoyed in
her hospitable quarters in the Grundmann Studios.
About the time of her return from Europe, a
Training School for Nurses, affiliated with the
Massachusetts General Hospital,2 in Boston, was
established, and to Mrs. von Olnhausen was offered

1 In 1888, through the exertions of Hon. E. D. Hayden, M. C.
from Massachusetts, she was given, by vote of the Congress, a
pension of twelve dollars a month.

2 From the Seventeenth Annual Report of Trustees of the
Massachusetts General Hospital (1883), p. 6: "This Institution
began in 1873 witn s^x pupils, who were allowed to take charge of
two wards as an experiment. It increased steadily till 1877, when
the nursing of the whole Hospital was placed in its charge. At
the present time (1883) the Training School consists of forty-two
pupils, twelve head nurses, a night Superintendent, and the Superin
tendent of the whole school, — all these being under the supervision
of a Board of Directors."

3 3 2 Adventures of an Army Nurse

the position of superintendent. The writer saw
much of her at that time, and although he was
but a lad, remembers well her cheeriness and
breeziness, her kind word to every patient, her
untiring efforts to keep them buoyed up and en
tertained. That scrupulous attention to cleanliness,
too, and that wonderful skill in the treatment of
wounds which had distinguished her army service,
were again conspicuous. But, boy as he was, he
could see that his aunt had not the qualifications
essential for the post which, with unflagging zeal,
she was trying so enthusiastically to fill. She was
not systematic, and a hospital must be run as
if by clockwork. She was not autocratic, and
women seeking to be trained as nurses need the
firm and steady hand of high authority. She was
absolutely blunt and always ready to speak her
mind, and her experimental position called for
the utmost tact and discretion. She was by na
ture a person of violent likes and dislikes, and
her situation forbade the slightest exhibition of
favoritism. Moreover, wide and wonderful as
her experience had been, it had not given her a
thorough training in the principles of nursing, and
her mind had not been steadied and disciplined by
that higher education which, had she been born
fifty years later, she undoubtedly would eagerly
have sought. It is not to be wondered at, there-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 333

fore, that she did not succeed in a position demand
ing qualities which by nature and by education
were not hers. After a year or two at the Train
ing School it became inevitable that she should
resign.

Her next position, taken only temporarily, was
as matron of a small home for intemperate women
in New York City. Thence she went to Staten
Island as superintendent of a maternity asylum
which had been established, by private charity, in
a beautiful spot on the hills of the interior. Two
large estates, each with extensive grounds, had
been thrown into one ; in the two mansion houses
and in a number of cottages were sheltered sev
eral hundred women and their children; and the
work there carried on of rescue, of reform, of pro
vision for the future of the children was most
beneficent. Here was an occupation suited ex
actly to Mary von Olnhausen's temperament. Her
vigor and activity found full scope in the care
of the many buildings and the oversight of their
varied and ever-changing inmates; her unfailing
cheerfulness and her downrightness of speech
were excellent tonics for the unfortunate women
with whom she had to deal; best of all, her
unbounded sympathy and faith in human nature
surrounded those unhappy beings with an atmos
phere essential to the process of their regeneration.

334 Adventures of an Army Nurse

Living wholly with and for her charges, she had
at once to be housekeeper, head nurse, confidante,
steward, adviser. One hour she must devise means
of keeping secluded some erring member of society,
the next she must teach the cooks how to prepare
some wholesome dish for the sick, the next she
must advise with the trustees in regard to the plac
ing of a new lot of children. This woman must be
reasoned with, that scolded, the third taught to sew.
Learning, one day, that a murderously drunken
husband is pounding at the door, she drops his
frantic wife and children, who had sought refuge
with her, out of a window, pilots them through
the woods, herself drives them to a place of safety,
and returns to tell bold lies to the man thus cir
cumvented. Another day she must plan a cam
paign for the capture of a madman escaped from
an asylum and roaming over her grounds threaten
ing death to every one. These but faintly indicate
the kind of problems that were always meeting
her. Night and day she must be everywhere,
must think of everything, must be the motive
force and the guiding hand in this large and
difficult establishment.

This excellent haven of refuge, however, had
been built up almost solely by the exertions of a
splendid, indomitable woman possessed of large
means and of marked executive ability. She was

Adventures of an Army Nurse 335

aggressive and positive ; Mrs. von Olnhausen, also
and equally, was positive, aggressive, and out
spoken. Both loved the work, and each was con
fident that hers was the only way in which it
should be carried on. It was impossible, therefore,
that sooner or later there should not be wide and
irreconcilable differences of opinion between this
organizer of the charity and the woman whom she
had placed in charge of it. After several years
of happy and useful work, the time came when
the position held by Mrs. von Olnhausen was no
longer tenable; and, with a sorrowful heart, she
gave it up. Then, rather than be dependent, she
accepted the position of housekeeper with a family
not far from Boston.

Meanwhile the Centennial Exposition, at Phila
delphia, had aroused us Americans to an appre
ciation of artistic decoration; and many women
had become fired with a desire to substitute for
the " tidies " and " antimacassars " of an earlier
generation really beautiful and artistic pieces of
embroidery. Although it was many years since
she had been a designer of fabrics at Manchester,
Mary von Olnhausen had not lost her facility of
hand or of invention. Always skilful with her
needle, her residence among German women had
taught her many new secrets of the embroiderer's
art; and her love and deep knowledge of nature

336 Adventures of an Army Nurse

made it possible for her to use flowers, leaves, and
vines, in designing, with an artistic freedom that
was a revelation to those whose ideas had been
bounded by the conventional abominations of the
" stamped " pattern. Establishing herself, then,
as a designer and maker of embroideries, she
soon found that this was indeed her vocation, and
that thus she might realize her wish to gain a
livelihood without losing the independence essen
tial to her happiness.

For more than twenty years Mrs. von Olnhausen
continued to follow this congenial work of produc
ing beautiful designs and exquisite embroideries
and of teaching others how to make them. Her
imagination seemed never to fail her, her fingers
lost none of their cunning, and, most extraordinary
of all, her eyes served her faithfully, under the
tremendous strain placed upon them, up to the very
end. All day, and far into the night sometimes,
she would sit over her designing, her swift fingers
fashioning beautiful curves and flower and leaf
forms, without any aid from instruments, and yet
the complicated lines resolving themselves at last
into a well thought out design of that freely con
ventional order which is of the highest degree of
decorative art. Or one would find her sitting with
a book propped before her, reading attentively,
while her fingers wove intricate stitches of em-

Adventures of an Army Nurse 337

broidery. Always busy, she nevertheless read an
astonishing number of books — in English, French,
and German — and reached an opinion concerning
them that was of definite value. More than this,
she found time to go frequently to the theatre
and to hear much good music, — her many friends
being only too glad to invite so vivacious and
appreciative a companion. Her room was always
open to, and was generally crowded with those
hosts of friends; and her greatest delight was
to prepare for them with her own hands a little
" feast," cooked as only she could cook. However
few the dishes and however primitive the table
furnishings, these " picnics " were made veritable
banquets by her wit and gayety.

Living at the "Pavilion," opposite King's Chapel,
until that house was pulled down, she had rooms
subsequently in various places in Boston, until, on
the conversion of the Winslow Skating Rink into
the Grundmann Studios, she established herself
there, and there remained, when in town, almost
to the end. Her residence in Boston was not,
however, continuous. It was broken by visits of
longer or shorter duration to the houses of her
sisters; and several summers were spent in Anni-
squam, that quaint village of Cape Ann, where
she took a building in which sail-boats had for
merly been constructed, and, with a few boards

338 Adventures of an Army Nurse

and bright chintzes, converted it into a charming
cottage. Its loft was divided into several rooms,
and from the sitting-room one stepped out upon
a balcony actually overhanging the waters of the
bay; its first floor was made into a huge kitchen-
dining-room, with wide double doors framing the
panorama of the 'Squam River, and with the sea,
at high tide, splashing and murmuring under its
very floor.

One winter was spent with a cousin in Warner,
New Hampshire; a part of another was passed
at Shackelford Island, — that long sand-bar off
Morehead City where Mrs. von Olnhausen had
enjoyed so many pleasant hours during the Civil
War; and once more, after a visit to the Colum
bian Exposition and to relatives in St. Louis, she
went to take care of that brother to whom twice
before, on the Illinois prairie, she had given such
efficient help. This time, however, he was living
on the plains of South Dakota, and alone. His
children, now married, were more or less widely
scattered; he himself was obliged to be much
away; the lake on whose shores he had estab
lished himself had, as is so often the case in
that semi-arid region, vanished; and with it had
gone the hundred neighbors whom this rare sheet
of water had originally attracted thither. Not far
off, too, was a reservation for Indians, of whom

Adventures of an Army Nurse 339

Mrs. von Olnhausen seems to have stood in a fear
most unusual with her. Many a long day and
grewsome evening, therefore, did she pass sitting
at the door of that Dakota house, the vast prairie,
broken only by the deserted houses, stretching
limitlessly before her, even the beloved nature-
sounds transformed, to her excited imagination,
into Indian footsteps, — watching for her brother
to return. The easy care of the house was but a
meagre outlet for such energy as hers; the soli
tude of the prairie was a contrast too sharp for
one who had lived so long in a city and amid a
crowd of friends. From this last Western visit
she came back what, in spite of her seventy-five
years, she had not before been, — an aged woman.
Her activities, her innocent pleasure-seeking, her
work for others did not cease ; but the marvellous
buoyancy of what had seemed eternal youth in her
was gone.

Mary von Olnhausen was so modest, she was
so much more ready to hear the stories of others
than to tell her own, that few realized what a
heroine of romance this little teacher of embroid
ery had been. The much-heralded coming of
Prince Henry of Prussia to this country hap
pened, however, to call the attention of the news
papers to her whom they named " The Little
Madam of the Iron Cross," and she was there-

340 Adventures of an Army Nurse

after much exploited. From Maine to California
the story of her life was carried; she became the
fashion; her room was crowded by persons with
and without introductions; orders for embroid
eries poured in upon her, and she existed during
the last months of her lifetime in a whirl of ex
citement that could not but prove too trying for
a woman of her years.

On the day of the Prince's coming, the Ger
man women who were received by him insisted
that she should accompany them. Entering the
room where the ladies were awaiting him, the
Kaiser's brother immediately noticed the Iron
Cross which she wore, and, ignoring formality,
grasped her hand and spoke to her in German.
Finding that she failed to understand him, he
then addressed her in English, inquired about her
services, and promised that a duplicate of the lost
" Cross of Merit " should be sent to her. The
newspapers made much of this recognition of her;
but her own simple account given in a letter to a
friend in North Carolina, who had sent her some
galax leaves, is the best : —

BOSTON, March 10, 1902.

The leaves are most beautiful. I have never
seen any handsomer. They came the day I went
to see the Prince, but I did not take him any, and

Adventures of an Army Nurse 341

have regretted since that I did not; but it was so
formidable, and I am such a fool, I only wanted it
over. He was most gracious, and not at all for
midable; shook my hand twice, just as any other
feller would. I am glad I had the courage now
to go, especially on account of the younger nieces
and nephews, who were so anxious for me to do
so. They have been making a great fuss in the
papers ; of course it 's all exaggerated. Really,
the whole thing was what any one would have
done much better than I did, only I had the
luck. How splendidly you would have carried
out the meeting and handshaking! I forgot to
bow low or to address him with any title; so
stupid !

It has been a hard winter for me, in the hos
pital and at home, and I am away behind in my
finances; but if the orders come as thick as they
have this last week, I shall soon be independent.
Nothing like being the fad for a while. I 've
waited forty years, and now, when I 'm so old,
it comes all at once. It has been a bad winter
here, they say. So far I Ve not been out, except
to ride; but I have some engagements for this
week, so shall have to trot around, besides work
ing night and day, for a while. How I long for
the spring and the birds and frogs! You have
had them long ago, I suppose.

342 Adventures of an Army Nurse

This is one of the last letters that she wrote.
Going soon afterwards to Lexington for a visit,
she was seized with apoplexy, and, without suffer
ing or return of consciousness, passed away on the
twelfth day of April, 1902. Two days later she
was taken to Mount Auburn Chapel; a flag was
pinned upon her breast by the Army Nurses' As
sociation; a larger flag was twined among the
beautiful flowers upon her coffin; fitting words
of memorial were spoken by the Rev. Carlton A.
Staples, minister of the First Church in Lexing
ton, — the church where, as a girl, she had come
every Sunday with her family; and she was put
to rest beside the dear husband from whom she
had been parted so many years before.

The life of which these letters give but inade
quate glimpses was interesting above all because
it was so intensely human. Its virtues were
common virtues, its shortcomings were common
faults; but both were intensified by the extraor
dinary vigor, by the unique personality of Mary
von Olnhausen. Her very presence breathed an
abounding vitality; and it was that, doubtless,
almost as much as her skill in nursing, which re
vived and stimulated into health again her many
patients. She gloried in making men live whose
hurts had been pronounced incurable. Between

Adventures of an Army Nurse 343

her, the healer, and them, the suffering, there
was, for the time, a human bond as close as be
tween members of one family. For that reason
she could seldom perceive the faults or unworthi-
ness of any man who had been a patient in her
hands. But, as she liked with intensity, so she
hated intensely; and there was often as much of
unreason in the one attitude as in the other.

It is probable, therefore, that some of the dan
gers and discomforts which she experienced were
due not wholly to others, but, in a measure, to
herself. For she could not wheedle, she would
not placate, and she often placed dependence upon
the untrue, while distrusting the true friend. Her
nature was so open, however, that it is easy to
correct, as men of science do, for the personal
equation in her letters, and to see, as she saw,
the seamy side of battles, to learn, as she learned,
how quickly and surely war brings to the front
all the evil, hideous, barbarous passions of man
kind. Many of her experiences, however, were
too revolting to be placed upon a printed page,
many of her discomforts were too intimately as
sociated with individuals for it to be wise to pub
lish them. Nevertheless, these suppressions, the
still greater pruning of the letters through the
omission of personal references and of pages in
teresting only to her friends, have not been suf-

344 Adventures of an Army Nurse

ficient to hide the rare character of Mary von
Olnhausen, to spoil the value of the varied pic
tures which she draws. Of an extraordinary phy
sique, she was not only ready, she was anxious,
to expend that vigorous health in service of the
most exacting kind. Loving intensely and hating
fiercely, she scorned to make selfish use of the love
of others, refused ever to feed hate with innuendo.
Generous to a fault, she would give her last cent
to relieve suffering, would share her remaining
crust with any one asking hospitality. Different
from other women, but never conspicuous; Bohe
mian, but careful of the prejudices of others; in
dependent, but not in tlie least self-assertive; free
of language, but hating everything coarse; exag
gerated in statement, but always scrupulous as to
the underlying truth; bold of speech, but tender
of heart; often deceived by human beings, but
never losing her sublime trust in human nature;
of no particular creed, but with abiding faith in
God, — she exhibited in her eighty- fourth year,
as in youth and in middle age, the beautiful and
endearing qualities of childhood, she showed the
trust, the purity, the glad exuberance of a little
girl.

Her life, in a way, anticipated the development
of the nineteenth century. Not till the close of
that hundred years did men learn really to love

Adventures of an Army Nurse 345

and to understand nature; she possessed that love
and knowledge as a girl. Not till well after the
middle of that century did women free themselves
from the thrall of Biblical and Puritan tradition;
she, as a young woman, quietly and modestly de
fied conventions, and lived, worked, and thought
freely, as do men. The chief triumph of the nine
teenth century has been in its understanding of
true philanthropy, in its putting into actual prac
tice, on a large and general scale, the Golden Rule.
Mary von Olnhausen early found her happiness in
living, in suffering, in encountering hardships for
the sake of others. She was too human to be a
saint, of too intense a vitality to be thoroughly
well balanced; but she was what the world most
needs, — an unflagging, unselfish, optimistic moral
force.

APPENDIX A

WHEN this volume was in press certain docu
ments came to light which show Baron von
Olnhausen to have been a schoolboy in Oehr-
ingen, Wiirttemberg, in 1823-24, a pupil at the Royal
Bavarian School at Augsburg in 1825 and 1826, a can
didate in Philosophy at the University of Munich in 1827
and 1828, and a chemist at Prague in 1833. From
other sources it has been learned that in 1840 he was
studying at Edinburgh University.

Excerpts, in literal translation, from some of the docu
ments follow : —

Extract from the opinions relative to the pupils of the fourth
Gymnasium class, school-year i8-||.

von Ohlnhausen Gustav^ pupil of the fourth Gymnasium
class, son of a merchant, born at Zwickau, Kingdom of Sax
ony, age 1 6 years 7 months,1 is recommended by his bearing,
modesty and mental capacity, which are further enhanced by
the gift of a pleasant speech ; and whose progress in religion
is good, in mathematics excellent.

1 [He must have been born, therefore, in February, 1809.]

348 Appendix A

General Qualifying Remarks.
Capabilities — great.
Industry — very great, in mathematics excellent, almost

untiring.

Conduct — excellent.
Progress — very good. Twelfth among 45 fellow students.

AUGSBURG, September 7, 1825.

In the Lyceum class of the Royal Bavarian Institution of
Learning here, Mr. Gustav von Olnhausen, from Zwickau,
in the Kingdom of Saxony, has deserved, in the first semester
of the school year i8||, in the studies of the first year course
of philosophy and general sciences, being endowed with many
mental gifts, the following record : —

Subject Industry Progress

Universal History Excellent Excellent

Latin Literature " Very good

Greek Literature " " "

Logic Very good " "

Metaphysics " " Excellent

Religion Excellent

Algebra Untiring "

Trigonometry " "

His mental development was exemplary.

This is attested by the undersigned authorities

[Signatures.]
AUGSBURG, August 20, 1826.

{Certificate} That the Candidate in Philosophy, Mr. Gustav
von Olnhausen, from Oehringen, in the Kingdom of Wurttem-
berg, has been at the University here for purposes of study

Appendix A 349

from November 18, 1826, up to date, during this time has ob
served a faultless conduct in conformity with the requirements,
and has not committed any wrong with regard to proscribed
societies. This is attested, at his desire, at his departure from
this University.

MUNICH, August 14, 1828.

Royal University Rector

Dr. J. DOELLINGER.

Passport

Mr. Gustav Adolph von Olnhausen, who at present is in
Prague, as chemist, born here in 1809, and against whose stay
in Prague there is no objection here, since, more particularly,
there is no claim for military service, — such facts are hereby
certified for his assistance.

Zwickau in the Kingdom of Saxony
City Council

FRIEDRICH WILHELM MEYER.
iSth December, 1833.

APPENDIX B

IN the recently published " Life and Correspondence
of Henry Ingersoll Bowditch " [by his son, Vincent
Y. Bowditch, Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902] ap
pears the following letter [vol. ii. p. 315] : —

TO MRS. GEORGE L. STEARNS.

May 9, 1887.

DEAR MRS. STEARNS, — I forgot to leave with you the
riddle l found in a book of autographs made chiefly between
the years 1610 and 1630. The riddle has the date of 1742,
and is signed by one Fulda, at that time the possessor of the
precious heirlooms of the family Von Olnhausen ; and which
had been carefully kept and transmitted to sons of that name
for one hundred and thirty-two years. The Von Olnhausens
dated their origin from a gallant Crusader, Heinrich Oln
hausen, who in 1388 had been made "Knight of the Golden
Spur" at Jerusalem.

The autographs collected by one of his descendants (an ear
nest student, between 1610 and 1630) of all the great person
ages (nobility with their illuminated coats of arms, professors

1 A M O R E S.
6. Sex fuge,
5. Quinque tene,
4. Quatuor fac,
Reliqua (RES) tibi sequcntur.

Appendix B 351

of many universities, pastors of churches, great physicians,
and lettered young companions) were in two volumes, and by
marriage had come into Fulda's hands. He, with a true in
stinct, felt that they ought to be in the hands of his young
relative, the male descendant of the Von Olnhausens. There
fore in 1742 he transferred them to John Frederick Olnhausen,
telling him that he hoped that these precious relics of the good
youth of 1610 would stimulate his loving descendants to behave
as heroically as his predecessors had done, and he gave the
enclosed riddle, which as I have before stated I forgot to
leave.

To finish my story, I ought to tell you how they came into
my possession. Some few years before the war of the rebel
lion, a tall, middle-aged German came into my study, evidently
very ill, I saw at a glance. There was intellect and great
suffering seen in his face, but there was a serenity of manner
and quietness of speech which charmed me. I soon found
that he was hopelessly ill; his wife, an American woman,
flitted around him, watching tenderly every word that fell from
him. It was evident that they were poor. I advised him to
enter a hospital, and I visited him as a friend several times
before he died. I found that he was a patriot obliged to leave
Germany, and had sought this country, devoted as he thought
to freedom, and shocked he had been to find how rampant
slavery was here. Just before death he willed to me his
Schiller cup, from which he had drunk Rhenish wine from
the time of student life on the anniversary of the poet's birth.
He had brought the autograph books here, he being the last
male descendant of his race. His wife soon after his death
left the books with me for safe-keeping, when she entered as
a nurse the Northern hospital. After serving till the end of
the war, she went to Germany and offered herself, and was
accepted, as a nurse in the Franco-Prussian war. By a
strange coincidence, among her first patients was one named
Olnhausen. He was of the family of her husband. She sub-

352 Appendix B

sequently lived there some weeks [years], and then returned
to America.

Excuse me for this lengthy story. When I fall upon the
history of a really excellent German patient or friend I find
much to interest me, and my pen flows on freely.
I remain very sincerely yours,

HENRY I. BOWDITCH.

INDEX

ABBOTT, GEN., 197
Alexandria, 32-104, 107, m-

114, 156, 184, 194
Andersonville, 204
Andrew, Gov., 51, 215, 220
Annisquam, 337
Army Nurses Association, 342
Army-worm, 25
Augsburg, 347
Autobiography, 21-35, 4*» 47~

50, 102-107

BALTIMORE, Md., 157

Barnes, Dr., 113, 163, 197

Bartlett, Catherine, 3, 7

Bartlett, Dr. J., 3

Barton, Clara, 320

Beaufort, 135, 137, 154-156, I73~

176, 182-195, 203
Bellangee, Dr., 90, 97, 99, 103-

105, 115, 118-130, 135, 144,

148-153, 213, 247
Bellows, Rev. H. W., 220, 224
Berlin, 220, 223, 244, 247, 256,

280, 310, 316

Bickerdyke, Mrs., 188, 193
Blois, 257, 265, 273
Booth, J. W., 194
Bowditch, Dr. H. I., 216, 350
Bull Run, 29, 43, 46
Butler, Gen., 125, 162, 165

CEDAR MT., 32, 35
Chancel lorsville, 93

Clark, Col., 158
Commune, The, 256
Copperheads, 80, 93, no
Corbeil, 240, 274
Cross of Merit, 321, 340
Culpeper, 35, 54

DALE, SURG. GEN., 216, 220
Dix, Miss D. L., 30-36, 49, 58,

64,84, 103, 107, 111-113, 121,

124, 186, 188, 213
Dover, N. H., 10
Dresden, 247, 284, 286, 288, 301,

305, 312, 320

, 221, 226, 234-244, 275

FAIRFAX STATION, 83

Fleury, Pension, 234

Fort Fisher, 164, 166, 176, 198,

207
Franco-Prussian War, 12, 219-

280

Frank, Dr., 236
Fredericksburg, 56
Fulda, 279

GEORGE, MRS., 214

Gleist, Count, 227

Golden Wedding, The Saxon,

312-316
Goldsboro, 196
Grundmann Studios, 331, 337

*3

354

Index

HAND, DR., 153, 174, 214

Hatteras, Cape, 117

Henry of Prussia, Prince, 321,

339-341

Higginson, H. L., 79
Hooker, Gen., 94
Hopkins, Rev. H.,45, 53, 95, 113
Hradschin, 296
Hudson, Miss, 47
Hughes, Thos., 222

ILLINOIS, 20-30, 76, 122, 146, 217
Iron Cross, 320, 339
Italian Journey, 317-320

JACK (THE RUSSIAN), 191-195,

201

Johannitern, 245-251
Jourdan, Col., 132
Juvisy, 240-244, 263, 269, 275

LAGNY, 221, 227-235, 237
Larcom, Lucy, 9
Lee, Mr., 264, 272
Lee's Surrender, 156, 184
Lexington, 1-8, 14, 35, 46-50, 55,

60, 65, 74, 80, 91, 102, 106, 127,

155, 163, 213, 281, 342
Lincoln, President, 32, 156, 189
Livermore, Mary A., 188

MACON, FORT, 130, 134
Manchester, 10-19, 197, 335
Mansfield Hospital, 118-182
Mansion House Hospital, 32-

105, 111-113

Mass. Gen. Hospital, 19, 331
Meaux, 221, 226-228, 234, 239,

241

Meigs, Gen., 186
Metz, 221, 236, 238, 277

Meung, 222, 245, 251, 272

Monadnock, 162

Morehead City, 102-106, 115,

118-182

Mt. Vernon, 67, 93
Munich, 277, 347

NANCY, 221, 226, 276

Neumark, 306-312

New Berne, 104, in, 115-118,

132, 136, 141, 147-154, 159,

173-180, 207

Newport Barracks, 132, 136, 138
Nightingale, Miss, 222
Nine Months' Men, 85-87
Nuremberg, 278

ORLEANS, 221, 238-244, 257-262,
266-271

PAGE, DR., 68, 70, 77, 84, 94-96,

101, 111-114
Palmer, Dr., 154, 158, 161-190,

19S> I97> 199-202, 206-216
Palmer, Gen. I. N., 215
Paris, 230, 246, 249, 251, 255, 275
Parker, Theo., i, 12, 18
Pension, 331
Phinney, Elias, 1-9
Phinney, Geo., 20, 24-27, 217,338
Polterabend, 321
Poor Whites, 28, 122, 127, 142-

146, 219

Post Camp, 51-54
Prague, 281, 293-297, 305, 347
Prairie Life, 21-30, 217

REFUGEES, 141, 151, 162, 171
Reims, 221, 223, 226, 237
Richmond, 204

Index

355

Roanoke, 159
Rogers, Thos., 2
Rome, 319

ST. CALAIS, 273
Salter, Dr., 182
Sanitary Commission, 38, 94, 98,

101, 106, 161, 175
Sarazen, M., 246, 249, 252, 258
Schoenfels, 11,306-308
Schwerke, Dr., 254
Second Massachusetts, 79-81,

119, 132, 137, 191, 206
Shackelford Island, 122, 144,

!73> 338

Sherman's Army, 179-181, 202
Smithville, 156, 176, 193, 195,

198-212

South Dakota, 338
Spain, War with, 51, 302
Staples, Rev. C. A., 342
Staten Island, 333
Sterne, 293

THARANT, 247, 281-293, 296-
305, 312-329

Thierry, 221, 224, 226
Tours, 222, 264, 271

VENDOME, 222, 237, 246-260,

264, 272-276, 317
Versailles, 221, 229, 232
Von Olnhausen, Gustav, 11-20,

61, 189, 219, 277, 283, 302, 306-

312, 342, 347-352
Von Roemer Castle, 309-311
Von Roemer, Frau, 1 2, 247, 280-

284, 287, 297, 302, 310
Von Rohrscheidt, Frau, 12, 247,

283, 287, 292, 297-305, 314, 327

WARRENTON, 91
Washington, D. C., 35-37, 52> 6o>
77,80, 84, 90, 98, i or, 107, 113
Weimar, Prince, 232, 234
William, Emperor, 314, 320, 326
Wilmington, N. C., 152, 162

YELLOW FEVER, 126, 147-155

ZWICKAU, n, 234, 281, 306-312,
347-349

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